Skywalker: Resurgent
by Lennex MacDuff
Summary: Luke Skywalker is one of the most powerful Force users to ever live. Fueled by his connection to the Force, his destiny was always bound for greatness and his battles always meant to be a legendary struggle of Light overcoming Dark. But what sort of future might he have now? Armed with new knowledge, will the galaxy be prepared? Star Wars, SI!Luke.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Forward: A short while ago, I was reintroduced to some Star Wars fanfic stories I rather enjoyed. However, a common theme I keep finding is the focus on Anakin Skywalker. Either as his Clone Wars self or later as Darth Vader. As much love as I have for the character, I can't help but ask; what about Luke?**

**I know Luke doesn't seem nearly as exciting next to a figure as imposing and storied as his father (spoilers!), but Luke is also a war hero. He went on some damn incredible adventures and rebuilt the entire Jedi Order from scratch and his own image. He's battled numerous and powerful Dark Side users and Sith and has even delved into learning about the Dark Side from the resurrected Darth Sideous.**

**If that last one surprised you, it's because of a tragedy I'm sure many of you are familiar with or have at least heard of; Legends isn't canon anymore. So many damn good stories have been cast aside for the new trilogy which is a dumpster fire compared to the epic adventures of the Thrawn Trilogy or the Knights of the Old Republic games. I could go on for some time about everything wrong with the new series and the incredible missed opportunities for Disney and the fans, but I'm sure most of you have already heard it all or have your own thoughts on the matter.**

**So, after having listened to a couple of lore videos on Youtube and even paging through a couple of old extended universe books on my shelf, I decided to give this a shot. Right now, I'm more focused on schoolwork and my other story, 'SG-WOLF,' but I thought I could at least toss this out there and see what sort of reaction it could get. Going forward, I'd be drawing on Legends canon and some of the new comic material since those are actually pretty good and much more like the old EU than the movies and shows. I'm still debating including much, if anything, from the Clone Wars show and probably won't even mention the Rebels stuff.**

**This chapter will be kinda wordy as it will just be me establishing the setting and views of the character.**

**If this does well, gets a lot of feedback or if I get struck by sudden inspiration, I'll add more. Until then, read and enjoy!**

* * *

_**Chapter One: Wake Up and Smell the Blue Milk**_

"Luke!"

I wiped the sweat from my brow as I stood up straight and stretched. I felt my back make a small 'pop' as I did so. That might be concerning for someone of my apparent age, but farm life does that sort of thing to you. Looking down at the vaporator parts strewn around the table, I gave a satisfied grunt as I took tally and noticed that I just had to put the thrice damned thing back together and I could be finished with it. The damn thing should hopefully not break again for at least another month.

"Luke!"

"I'm coming, Aunt Beru!"

I tossed the spanner I was using back onto the worktable, not even looking at where it landed as it fell unnaturally slowly onto the table to land gently while I turned towards the door. Picking up the pace a bit as I exited the workshop, I left the relatively cool interior and stepped up into the blazing suns of Tatooine. I had adapted to the heat of this world's suns years ago, but I still squinted in annoyance as I stepped into the midday heat. I quickly jogged up to the opening that led to our main dwelling on the farm and saw my Aunt Beru standing in the doorway.

My Aunt Beru was a very kind looking older woman whom I don't think I've ever heard an unkind word spoken against. She had graceful looking dimples that left long lines on her face, but didn't detract from her beauty. Her brown hair was worn short in what I was pretty sure was called a pageboy cut. As I approached, she smiled and kept wiping her hands with a rag to clean them, likely from working with the greenhouse we kept most of our crops in.

"Need something?" I asked her cheerily.

"For you to clean up and come inside," she answered, amused by my demeanor. "Lunch is ready and your uncle should be along soon."

"Sure thing," I replied. I smiled as I gave Beru a hug as I passed her and she jokingly protested, saying I smelled terrible.

"You smell like a sweaty Dewback, young man!" Beru laughed and swatted at me to let her go.

I laughed and released her as I continued further inside. Heading into the fresher, I started cleaning myself up, whistling a tune no one in this galaxy had ever heard of.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

It had been almost three years since I woke up like this.

It was confusing as hell that first morning and I had first thought I was going crazy. I had the memories of being both Luke Skywalker and a whole different person at the same time. Memories of a planet called Earth and having a life there also filled my head. The amazing tales of the 'Star Wars' and the incredible heroes that went on incredible adventures, the epic battles, the philosophical discussions...

And of course...the Force.

I had spent the rest of that day sick in bed. I really was running a temperature that morning and had been glad for it. I had spent the rest of that day lying wide eyed in bed and occasionally screaming internally as I realized my situation and came to grips with it.

I was myself, but I was also now Luke Skywalker. Future Hero of the People, Rebel Leader, Jedi Grand Master and the Most Powerful Man in the Galaxy.

The problem was...I was also just fifteen years old now. I also remembered a lot about the context of Star Wars and the conflicts that recurred throughout the millennia. Conflicts I was now not just stuck in, but was supposed to play a pivotal role in.

One of the first things I vowed to do was to get familiar with where I was and what version of Star Wars I was in. Sure, I knew I was Luke Skywalker and I was on Tatooine, but there were so many comics, books, spin-offs and especially fan-created universes that I could be in any variation of Star Wars. I shuddered at the idea of being stuck in some of the more eccentric fanfics or in a different character's body.

Thankfully, I had my own data pad to play with while I sought answers to these questions. Tatooine may be a backwater by galactic standards, but even they understood and appreciated the value of high speed internet, or at least the local equivalent. I used the local equivalent of Google to do a search for key terms and individuals to try and establish just where I was and what was going on. I thanked whatever power sent me here that I could read and write in the local alphabet, Aurebesh, just fine.

By my best guess, I was in a movie/canon version of the universe. Palpatine was the emperor and Vader was still his right hand man. A summary of recent galactic history talked about the Empire and the rise to power, with all sorts of propaganda being thrown at me while I tried to read between the lines. Nothing of relevance came up when I looked for Starkiller, Ashoka Tano or Maul though. Not to say that they didn't exist here, but they weren't exactly public figures if they did. Ashoka would have just been another officer in a very large Grand Army of the Republic and just one more Jedi besides that. Maul was never a very mainstream kind of guy, even if he did survive getting cut in half on Naboo. I thought Starkiller at least might have some sort of mention if he existed, given his prolific style and role in the creation of the Rebel Alliance, but no dice there either.

Speaking of rebels; a search of them immediately brought me to several pages filled with information on known Rebel leadership, areas of activity, listed crimes, and offers of rewards for information leading to their capture and/or confirmation of death. I saw names like the recently defected senator Mon Mothma, who had given a blistering speech about her disgust with Imperial policy in general and the massacre at Ghorman in particular. I got a clue there that we were closer to the Legends version of canon as I saw she had been the main author behind the Deceleration of Rebellion and a pamphlet called A Call to Reason. I remembered that Legends Mon Mothma was more like a space-Thomas Jefferson than anything else. Of course, both documents were hard to come by thanks to Imperial censorship.

I saw Jan Dodonna and a half dozen other names listed with the word 'Traitor!' stamped beneath their names. My knowledge of Star Wars wasn't perfect, so I couldn't say with certainty who each of these people were or if they were ever mentioned somewhere I might have read or seen and I just couldn't recall them without context. I became frustrated by my lack of ability to recall everything I had ever learned, but eventually came to accept that with such a massive universe like Star Wars, which underwent a massive rewrite by Disney, I was lucky to remember as much as I did. I immediately proceeded to take notes on everything I could recall and kept it as vague and as secure as I could until I could procure a datapad with better security on it.

At least I could take comfort that my own memories weren't the only ones that were undependable in this galaxy. The Clone Wars were still talked about in fearful and awed tones for the incredible destruction they incurred throughout the galaxy. According to my own memories however, I recalled they were but the latest round in a long series of terrible wars. The Mandalorian Crusades, the Jedi Civil War, the Great Wars between the Old Republic and the Sith Empire, the New Sith Wars plus the countless skirmishes that occurred in between the bigger conflicts. All of these had ravaged the entire galaxy and wiped whole planets clean of life. But when coupled with Luke's own lessons at the local school, it seemed that if it didn't happen in the last century, it didn't really matter all that much.

Subsequent searches revealed that the worlds of Telos and Taris still existed, but the incidents where both planets were nearly wiped clean of life by orbital bombardment were only put down as footnotes in the history texts. Even a search for the Miraluka only generated general biological, cultural, and census data with no mention to Darth Nihilus wiping out their homeworld. Granted, those incidents happened so long ago when compared to other, more recent events like the Clone Wars. Still, it seemed to me like such a casual dismissal for such tremendous loss of life. I had begun to speculate if the lack of information of Force based conflicts and incidents was deliberately being done by someone. Palpatine, perhaps? Maybe work started by his master, Darth Plauges? I couldn't be sure.

The next day, I had been up and feeling better. It had taken only a few moments for me to become familiar with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Luke's original memories were filled with nothing but love and affection for the two people who had raised him. I couldn't fault him at all for this after meeting them with my own, newer perspective. They were both very kind and good people and I felt fortunate that they were here to look after Luke and through him, me.

Neither had seemed at all concerned or suspicious with me or any changes in my behavior after that first day. I might have felt like a different person after waking up with all this new knowledge and perspective but to them, I was just a typical teenager. I suppose me throwing myself into my chores around the farm didn't hurt as it made them grateful for my work ethic and gave me the opportunity to both be alone to think and to get a firsthand look at all the amazing technology I now had access to. The tech was all seemingly familiar to me and at the same time, fascinating. More advanced than anything Earth and I could actually understand it just fine! Luke's own mechanical knowledge was impressive by my reckoning, even if it was enhanced by the Force.

I remembered hours upon hours worth of research and discussions with friends and watching videos about the epic themes of Star Wars and the Force. Conversations about the nature of the Force, the effects it'd have on its users, and the incredible powers it made possible. I recalled many of the incredible feats possible to Luke and other great Force users throughout the millennia and it gave me any number of great ideas with which to take my own training. Of course, that was when I encountered my first real problem; I wasn't sure how to access the Force. I tried on my own a few times and _knowing_ I could do it certainly helped, but I was flailing in the dark and I knew it. Even when I was certain I was touching it, it was like being handed a strange tool and having no clue on how to use it or for what purpose.

The original Luke Skywalker would go on to be a bastion of the Light. His own Force abilities were more than enough to earn him his legendary status. I had my own ideas on how to shape this galaxy, but Luke's training had to start somewhere and the Light Side offered a much safer start than the Dark. If I was ever going to measure up and be the man this galaxy needed me to be, I had to step up and get to work.

First, I had needed a plan.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_Three Years Ago..._

It was almost two weeks after I was out of bed that I decided to set out on my own. I had arranged for a day off after having knocked out my chores and clearing it with Uncle Owen the day before. He and Aunt Beru were surprisingly amicable when I asked to go into Mos Eisley and meet some friends. I was worried that I would be asked to stick around and work the farm again, but they both seemed happy that I was taking the initiative to go out on my own and meet some friends. I had only really interacted with them and Luke's friends and the other kids his age at the local school, which met for a few hours only three times a week.

Anyway, Uncle Owen was happy to give me the day off for all of my hard work and for actually being ahead with my chores. He even let me use the speeder. The only downside? The music in this galaxy sucked. Maybe it was just Uncle Owen's own taste, but this stuff was crap.

The small craft zipped over the sands at great speeds and towards the canyons Luke's memories told me he was supposed to stay away from. Not to be deterred, I drove until I got close to the canyons before I stopped the speeder and used the small scanner attached to the dashboard to try and track down my target. The whole time, I stayed mindful of the old blaster rifle Uncle Owen always kept secured between the front seats. Tuskan Raiders were no joke around here and the last thing I needed was to be ambushed.

Fortunately, I knew my target couldn't be far. He couldn't be if he was supposed to protect me in the event that something happened that threatened my life or at least my cover from the Empire. By my own reckoning, he had done so at least once or twice already if not more.

Getting a hit on my scanner, I smirked and floored the speeder, my heart beating in excitement at the anticipation of my arrival. It wasn't more than another two minutes until I came into sight of my destination. It was a small, two or three room hovel just sitting on the edge of a small outcropping of rocks. It looked well tended to, but didn't stick out at all on the landscape due to how well its sandy coloring blended into the area. The only signs of habitation came from the single commercial vaporator and the worn out looking speeder that was sitting under an awning on the side of the structure.

_'Well, at least it _looks _like he's home,'_ I thought.

Not worried at all now since I knew the sand people wouldn't dare attack this place, I hopped out of the speeder once it was finished powering down. It wasn't more than a few moments later when the man himself walked out of shelter, clad in brown robes that fully obscured his features since he had his hood up.

I was slightly amused by that. Was he just sitting inside like that or was this his version of 'getting his duds on' to confront an intruder? I suppose that this was the Jedi version of strapping on a gun belt.

"Good afternoon!" I greeted loudly. "Do you recognize me?" I asked without further preamble.

The figure halted suddenly as he registered my words and observed me from the shadow of his large hood.

"I...believe so," he replied in a voice that was a bit rough. I presumed he didn't do much talking these days. "You're...the boy from the nearby farm, yes? The Lars family?"

"Yes I am," I confirmed cheerily. "But you already know my name, Obi-Wan, so let's cut the act and get to the part where you invite me inside to explain some stuff."

Jedi Master Obi-Wan 'Ben' Kenobi's face alone was worth the drive out here as he actually dropped his jaw and stared at me in wide eyed bafflement.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

"Young man, I'm not sure who you've been talking to or what you've been told..."

"Oh, give it a rest, Kenobi," I said lightly as I walked into his small hovel. He had shaken himself out of his shock and I guessed had immediately fallen back on simple manners until he figured out what to do or say to me. I didn't really want to dance around the subject, so I decided it was best to just be direct right now and get this conversation moving along.

"I know who you are, who my father is and that you've been living out here not just to hide from the Empire, but from the Sith. And that you've been doing it to keep me and my family safe."

Whatever argument or story Kenobi had been working up to try and feed me seemed to get stuck in his throat as he fell silent again and got this look on his face halfway between shock and panic. While he composed himself, I took a look around at the interior of the hovel. He didn't really seem to have much, which I figured made sense since he was taught at a young age to live with few materialistic attachments. Still, I'd hoped to see something he'd have kept from his many adventures. The man had helped forge galactic history on more than one occasion. It seemed strange that he wouldn't have picked up at least one or two baubles to remember the old days or have acquired something since coming to Tatooine. Intellectually, I probably understood that it just wasn't his way, but it still seemed a little strange and maybe a little sad too.

Eventually, Kenobi found his voice again.

"How?" he asked me quietly. "Who told you?"

I sighed. "Perhaps we should both have a seat while I explain?" I asked him.

Kenobi nodded and gestured to the simple couch he had by a small sitting area in the corner of the main room. Accepting his invitation, I went over and sat down while he took the armchair beside it. He didn't relax though and instead chose to lean forward and look at me intently.

He had also lowered his hood by this point and I finally got a good look at his face. He had many of the wizened and older features of Alec Guinness, such as the deep lines and the shorter, less full beard which had turned white with age. But I could also clearly tell that he would have once been a shoe-in for Ewan McGregor in his younger years. I think it was his mouth which made me think that. He was clearly a man who once upon a time laughed and smiled (read: smirked) a lot. Although I don't imagine he had been doing it as much in recent years, the look was still there. It also didn't hurt that he still sounded a lot like an older McGregor.

_'I wonder if I can get him to say 'hello there' at some point?'_ I thought.

"It was about two weeks ago," I informed him aloud. "I suppose the best way to describe it might be as a vision given by the Force, but it was so much more than that."

"The Force told you all of this?" Kenobi asked me. "Some sort of vision?"

"Not exactly," I sighed again. I had tried to come up with the best way to explain myself and my knowledge when it came up. Even for a galaxy as crazy as this one, waking up in the body of a fictional character you happened to know a lot about because you were a huge geek was still kind of a stretch. Luckily, I didn't really have to lie. At least, not too much.

"It's hard to explain," I tried. "But essentially; I woke up with a lot of knowledge in my head of all sorts of wild and crazy things. I've done my own research on general events that I remember and perhaps the weirdest part is that some of the stuff I know is either accurate, close to accurate, or just flat out contradicts reality as I know it. Some stuff though, I can be absolutely certain about."

"And..." Kenobi said slowly. "One of those things was me? My real name?"

"And that you were and are a Jedi," I told him. "That you were not only my father's Jedi Master, but that the two of you were like brothers. I know that you were a general in the Clone Wars, like many other Jedi Masters, and that you survived Order 66 along with Yoda. I know about your visit to the Jedi Temple after the massacre there, about Yoda's attempt on the Emperor's life, about your fight with my father on Mustafar and about my mother, Padme, dying after my sister and I were born. You brought me here and she went to Alderaan with Bail Organa. Do you need a moment?"

I finished with that last question as I could tell my words were having a serious impact on Kenobi's emotional state. The old man took up a haunted look in his eyes as I laid out the events of those horrible days and reminded him of his own loss in those times. I don't think he ever quite recovered from those painful experiences and honestly? I couldn't blame him. The guy lost everything and immediately went into seclusion on the ass end of the desert on a planet in the ass end of the galaxy. It didn't help much that as far as I was concerned, the Jedi Order had probably never raised him to learn how to properly handle loss and recover from mental trauma.

He nodded gratefully and shortly as he leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. I waited patiently for him to say something next.

After two or three minutes, he finally opened his eyes and leaned forward again. His eyes seemed more clouded by memories still, but it was clear that he was still focused.

"That is all very specific knowledge," he finally said. "It is also quite a lot. All of that came from a Force vision?"

"Kind of," I allowed slowly. "Honestly, I've taken up the view that the whole thing is one massive knowledge dump. And it's not the most reliable either. For example, did you ever go on a series of adventures with a former padawan turned private investigator after you arrived on Tatooine? Probably involving the aid of some incorrigible characters who all teamed up with him afterwards for further adventures while you later came back here?"

He looked at me with an incredulous expression and with a raised eyebrow. "I think I would remember it if I had..." he said.

"I figured," I shrugged. I had just made a safe guess that the short children's books I had read as a kid weren't canon at all. "Honestly, there's a lot of stuff I'm trying to parse out between what might have been, what was, what is and what might yet be. Some of this stuff isn't even from the last millennium and yet my knowledge is so detailed, it's like I was there for most of it or had seen a holovid of it or something. Other stuff about the future is downright terrifying to consider given that I play some sort of role in many of those events."

I tilted my head curiously at him. "And while on the subject of things that might have been, did you have a relationship or at least some kind of romantic attraction to the former Duchess of Mandalore?"

Kenobi looked very surprised at that specific tidbit and began stroking his beard. "I'm beginning to realize just how detailed your knowledge is and how unsettling it might be. I'd certainly be lying if I denied the admitted usefulness of such knowledge. Are there others who you know this much detail about?"

"Yes, but don't ignore my question," I pressed, grinning at his obvious attempt to dodge the question. "You and Satine. Anything ever actually happen there?"

Kenobi stopped stroking his beard and gave me a very flat look. "You seem rather eager for an answer," he remarked.

"It might be important to other stuff I know," I insisted. "Ripples spreading out from events through the Force to affect other events and influencing them. So c'mon, let's hear it!"

Kenobi kept giving me that flat look as he answered, but I could swear I saw a spark of interest as he heard me mention 'ripples in the Force.' "Satine Kryze and I...were very fond of one another. We never had anything approaching a 'traditional' relationship as many would think, but we did care for each other a great deal. Her passing was a tragedy that still occasionally hurts me to think about, which is why I'd rather not elaborate further. Does that satisfy you?"

I nodded, giving him a smile as I did so. While I was admittedly curious about Kenobi's romantic past, I was already pretty sure of the truth of the matter based on Legends stories and the Clone Wars t.v. show. What was important here to me was the answer; not the question. I had to hear it from him and discern what sort of view he had taken on his past feelings of love for another. If only to give me a better idea of what sort of man I was really dealing with here, I had to hear one way or the other if he had steadfastly clung to the Jedi Order's preaching about the dangers of love and why it should be banned for their members, even after all that he's experienced and after all this time to think.

From his response, I could assume at least that he wouldn't lose his shit and turn on me if he saw me go on a date

"I imagine that you haven't told your aunt and uncle about any of this," Kenobi stated next.

"Not a chance," I snorted humorlessly. "They're good people and I love them, but this is way outside the bounds of what they'd be comfortable hearing about or being involved in. Thing is, I don't think there's going to be much choice in it as far as you and I are concerned in the next three years, give or take. After a certain point, I imagine you and I will both have to leave Tatooine."

"You know that something is going to happen?" he asked intently. "You're certain of this?"

"Oh yeah," I confirmed. "In a big way. My sister, Leia, will be captured for her role in acquiring the secret plans for an Imperial super weapon called the Death Star. Imperial Intelligence will assume correctly that she's a Rebel agent and Vader will capture her ship and kill most of the crew while taking her prisoner. But not before she hides the plans with two droids who manage to make it into an escape pod and come here looking for you at her request. She'll call you to go to Alderaan and give the plans to her father, Bail Organa. Originally, I'd come with you after a detachment of Imperial Stormtroopers burned down my farm and killed my aunt and uncle. I'm hoping we can change those circumstances, at least somewhat."

"Yes, I should certainly hope to do so as well," Kenobi said, now looking very interested.

"For starters, I'm going to need training," I told him. "I've got a lot of knowledge of ways to use the Force, the teachings of different sects of Force users and even a good idea of what a future version of myself should be capable of. What I _don't_ have is enough of a clue to get myself started. At the very least, I'd like for you to train me on the core basics of the Jedi way. I need control and a lot of work with the fundamentals."

"You have no idea how strange it is for me to hear one so young insist that they need work on the fundamentals and not the more advanced and flashy techniques," Kenobi remarked dryly with a wry smile on his lips. For a moment, I smiled too as I caught a flash of the man in his prime. Of the famed 'Negotiator' with a cocky smile and a mountain of sass to throw at his enemies between lightsaber duels.

"Some of the best knowledge to have is of one's own weaknesses," I smiled back. "I also like to think that all this new knowledge has helped me gain a lot of perspective on life. The kind of perspective that usually takes a lot of growing up to do."

"Perhaps so," Kenobi nodded.

"On that note," I continued. "I'll also need a bit of help on getting my mind sorted. Everything feels like a bunch of datapads with their memory chips spliced together sometimes. I'd be happy to learn any techniques on fortifying one's mind that you could teach me. I definitely want to retain as much of this knowledge as I can, but I'd also rather not wake up one day and mix up what's real with what's imaginary."

"That'll have to be among the first things I teach you," he agreed. "Even from outside, I could feel that your mind was in turmoil. It hasn't stopped feeling that way since you came inside."

"Not trying to read my thoughts, I hope?" I asked, wondering if he could even get anything straight out of me if he tried. He wasn't wrong in his assessment. My thoughts were everywhere these last two weeks and staying focused on any one thing for a length of time was more of a challenge than it should have been.

"I can assure you that I have not and would not attempt to do so with you," Kenobi declared while raising his hands in a placid gesture conveying innocence. "I have only been aware enough to determine that your mind was highly active and that you came here with the best of intentions."

"Thanks for that," I told him. "I appreciate the courtesy."

"It was always my intention to train you someday," he informed me. "Your aunt and uncle would never have stood for it though. If it ever did happen, a certain level of trust and respect would be necessary between us. I am grateful that you chose to reach out to me and humbled that you would have me train you rather than seek to learn on your own. I vowed once to look out for you and I intend to keep that promise."

"Thank you," I told him earnestly. "I don't think there is anyone else I'd prefer to learn from than the best."

"Well, I don't know about 'the best,'" Kenobi replied, smiling again. "But I was pretty good. Once upon a time."

"'Pretty good,' he says," I responded sarcastically, rolling my eyes at him. "I'm sure a number of your enemies would have something to say over that. A pity the list is so short these days that we'd have trouble finding one of them."

"Oh, indeed!" Kenobi laughed.

We both had a small laugh over that before letting silence fall between us once again. I didn't think it was uncomfortable at all, but when Kenobi next spoke, his tone was suddenly much heavier and his face far more serious.

"Luke," he began. "About your father..." he trialed off.

"Hey, it's fine," I told him. "Really, it is. I know quite a bit about Anakin and what he's done, both before and after he became Vader. You don't need to tell me to be cautious or anything. I'm not going to rush to him and tell him who I am. That'd be suicidal."

Really, I had made my peace with that a while ago and had disregarded the idea entirely. I think it was the Luke part of me that felt that urge to seek him out right away and try to turn him away from the Dark Side. Thankfully, common sense and my fresh perspective on events told me how monumentally stupid that'd be. The urge was still a part of me, but I could ignore it easily enough.

"It's not that," he replied, but showed some obvious relief at my words. His expression turned mournful as the words began to pour out of him in a hesitant rush. "About what happened to him...on Mustafar and even before that. I...I wanted to tell you how sorry I was. What I did was necessary, but...there's no question in my mind that I could have done better by him. That I _should_ have done better by him. He was my apprentice, but more than that, he was my dearest friend. I failed him but...I also failed you. You and your sister. I know it's not enough and I'm not sure how to actually say this but...I want you to know that...I'm sorry. I am so very sorry, Luke."

This sudden confession had honestly surprised me for a few moments until I began to understand where it was probably coming from. I don't think this conversation ever quite came up like this in any universe I was familiar with (not even with Obi-Wan as a Force Ghost), but it did fall in line with a lot of fan speculation on Kenobi's state of mind during his years in isolation. The guy got dumped off in the ass end of nowhere after the absolute _worst days_ of his life all occurred back to back to each other. Worse, he could almost certainly feel most of it happening through his connection to the Force, even if he wasn't there personally for when much of it actually happened. A fraction of what he endured would traumatize anyone. Lesser men might have gone mad from it. In hindsight, it was lucky that immense guilt was all that Kenobi faced out here.

I thought carefully before speaking again, choosing my words carefully.

"I accept your apology, Obi-Wan Kenobi," I told him quietly, but seriously. "More than that; I forgive you and want you to know that I understand. What happened wasn't your fault. Anakin was set down his path by players and forces beyond your control. It's not your fault that the Jedi Order couldn't advise him well on his unique situations any more than it's your fault that Palpatine sank his hooks into Anakin in a way that none of you could stop. Even then, in the end, Anakin's choices were still his own. It wasn't your fault."

Kenobi sat there for another few minutes, too wrapped up in his own emotions and with his head held down to do much else. He didn't cry. I wouldn't have blamed him if he did, but he didn't. He just sat there and processed the emotional turmoil my words had brought him while I stayed quiet to let him do so in peace.

Eventually, I thought to give him the time and space to process all of this. I had just crashed into the guy's life and dropped a lot of new information on his head, so I figured the least I could do was leave the guy alone for a bit. We chatted for about another half hour before I offered to excuse myself, but not before asking if there was anything I could get him or if he had any parting advice for me to start training. He imparted a few useful tips like ensuring I began practicing by instructing me to make sure I was somewhere quiet, private, and could work at 'clearing my mind of thought and distraction.'

We had also worked out a pretty flexible schedule for training and meeting when possible. I brought him a communicator from my speeder outside and promised to consult him if anything came up and that we'd speak again soon. It'd be hard to keep it a secret, but I was confident that I could manage to sneak away from the farm for conversations and meetings every now and then. I knew Uncle Owen would never let me leave the farm if he knew I was being trained by 'Crazy Old Ben,' so I intended to keep it from him and Aunt Beru, who I knew would just worry herself crazy and eventually take her husband's side. Likewise, Kenobi acknowledged that my uncle was likely to shoot him if he tried to knock on their door and visit me openly. For now, we both agreed that playing our cards close to our chest was the safer and less complicated move.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_The Present..._

I sat down in my seat at the table let out a sigh. Aunt Beru had prepared another of her stews and it smelled delicious. Beside my bowl was a glass of the famous blue milk. It may not have looked it, but it was absolutely delicious. Seriously, no milk I'd ever had was this good. And it didn't hurt that it was one of the few Tatooine foods that was actually served chilled.

A moment later, Uncle Owen walked in. He was a large, but fit man as most people would expect a farmer to be. He had sandy, brown hair which was turning grey at the sides. He also had an overall stern face, but I knew him well enough that he was a rather kind man. His flat mouth would twitch into a smile at the smallest thing, although he did an excellent job hiding it while doing business with traders or the Jawas.

"Hi, Uncle Owen," I greeted as Aunt Beru set down his own glass of blue milk and greeted him with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. They both took their seats and we all began to dig in to our meal. "Anything interesting happening in town?"

Uncle Owen grunted as he took his first bite. It was a common question, although something of a running joke between most of the Tatooine farming community. The lack of activity around here was so profound, it was sure that the most minor change or occurrence would be talked about for at least a month after it happened, depending on the irregularity of it. There were _still_ people talking about Biggs leaving for the Imperial Academy over a year ago.

"Just the usual," Uncle Owen confirmed. "Sandcrawlers were spotted the other day approaching the area. Looks like they're coming around a bit early this year to sell their wares. Beru, did you say something the other day about wanting some new equipment for soil purification?"

The two of them quickly got into a discussion of any new equipment Beru would need for her crop boxes or the greenhouse. I didn't outwardly react to his words except with a nod and a smile, but on the inside, I felt what I could only describe as the weight of the future, of destiny coming down on me. Whether it was just my own subconscious or the Force giving me that feeling, I wasn't sure. But I had a strong feeling that this would be exactly what I was waiting for.

I had stayed aware of when the Jawas liked to travel through this area to sell their wares. With the start of a new season coming up, they'd be making their rounds again to show off the usual collection of junk, scrap, and whatever they had managed to pick up or cobble together since last season. I'd been getting myself ready for the last year or so since I wasn't too sure when R2 and 3PO's pod was due to crash. However, I had a strong feeling that this would be the right time. I was going to comm Kenobi tonight to tell him the Jawas were in the area early and we should be on guard for anything signs of activity.

I would have to remember to keep a particularly sharp eye on the local skies for the next few nights.

**AN: If you liked this story, I encourage you to let me know! Come check out my homepage and take a look at the other stuff I've written!**

**And as always, I love to read your reviews!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan written story. Star Wars or any of the associated properties mentioned in this story are all owned by Disney and their respective companies, authors and/or corporations. This is purely a work of fiction written for pleasure and nonprofit. Please support the official release.**

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_**Skywalker: Resurgent Ch.2: What the Hell are You Doing Here?!**_

As it happened, it was another week until I saw exactly what I was looking for.

The improvised scanner I had cobbled together and left at Kenobi's place over a year ago had started going off and Kenobi had insisted that it wasn't another false alarm. Just to be sure, I used the old set of macro binoculars mounted to a tripod that I, or rather Luke, had gotten for our twelfth birthday. Basically, it was a Star Wars version of a telescope. It did an impressive job letting me spot ships in orbit of at least corvette size and bigger. Freighters and fighter craft were much harder, but I wasn't really concerning myself with those. Not when I could clearly spot the Imperial-class Star Destroyer with a Corellian Corvette sitting in her ventral docking bay in high orbit. Even in daylight, the two were close enough to the planet that I could spot them.

I immediately grabbed the small 'mission pack' I had prepared for this day and bolted out of the workshop. Making the necessary excuses to Aunt Beru, I quickly tossed the pack into the passenger seat and immediately set out for the Dune Sea. Once I was out of sight of the farm, I brought the speeder to a halt and left it running idle as I grabbed the pack and stepped out to change my clothes and appearance.

My last few years training with the Force and a lifetime working on the farm had treated me well, all things considered. I didn't recall how short Luke was originally when Leia made the famous 'aren't you a little short to be a storm trooper?' remark, but I didn't believe I was all that short by human standards. Standing at a little over 1.8 meters (freaking metric system is everywhere in this galaxy), I was in pretty impressive shape. Lean muscles developed from carrying heavy loads and long hours of working under the hot suns and digging through farm equipment had given me a thin, but not unfit profile. I had also spent some time every week since meeting Kenobi performing exercises he recommended for both lightsaber combat and agility. Perhaps it was the concealing clothing that Luke always wore, changes I had made to my lifestyle after coming here, or maybe I was forgetting something, but I considered myself to be in terrific physical shape.

But back to the matter at hand; I was going to need a disguise. I was a regular figure around the local farming community and pretty much everyone who lived around here recognized me or has at least seen me before. Such was the way with small communities. In the original timeline, the Jawas had been tortured and executed by stormtroopers even after giving up who they sold the droids to. I couldn't afford to be spotted looking like I normally did, so some time ago I had worked up a disguise kit in case anyone saw me while I was out looking for the droids. That was for Plan A, in case I got lucky and picked them up before they set out into the desert and got picked up by Jawas instead. In case I was too late and they were already long gone, I could then switch to Plan B and purchase them directly instead of letting the Jawas sell them to Uncle Owen. I had gathered my own modest savings and Kenobi had lent me some of his personal stash of funds for just this purpose. In that case, the disguise was so that the Jawas couldn't give an accurate description or name, even if they were interrogated. In that scenario, I'd really need the disguise to be as good as I could get it to be.

Step one was switching to a new wardrobe. First came the set of special boots I had packed. They had short platforms built into the soles which would make me seem a good two or three inches taller than I actually was. Not perfect and I had to be careful while walking, but it'd help for the short time I had to wear them. Next came a nondescript set of dark brown pants and darker brown shirt that I could wear. It was a common color of clothing on Tatooine, but also unlike the lighter colors I'd wear normally due to the climate. Over that, I had a sandy colored poncho-like garment that made me think of Clint Eastwood when I saw it in a cheap clothing store about a year ago. No stetson hat to go with it (much to my personal disappointment), but it did have a wide hood which helped conceal my hair and face.

Speaking of, there wasn't too much I could do about those. I had decided almost right away to get rid of the 'boy band' hairdo I had woken up with. Nothing against young-Luke, but short and practical was the way to go for the kind of life I intended to live. I kept some of the length which allowed me to style it a bit as I liked, but I was just happy it wasn't long enough to get into my eyes anymore. Rather than try to cut it or dye it with the supplies I had laid out on the hood of the speeder, I instead straightened it hurriedly and slicked it back over my scalp with the small tin of hair product I had brought with me. I hated the look, but at least it was only temporary.

Then, I took out the last two aspects of my disguise; grease paint and some goggles. I wasn't an expert with makeup, but I knew enough about the cultural trends in Star Wars to know that a lot of people had face paint or tattoos. This way, I could pass myself off as another edgy human or as a part of some culture that liked marking their faces. Some artfully applied black smears would also be enough to throw anyone off my trail if they got a good description since it'd be so easy to clean off. I marked the areas around my eyes and drew long 'tear track' marks down my cheeks and under my chin. I brought up the goggles and left them sitting on my forehead for the moment to help conceal my hair color and add to the look I had adopted.

When I had finished, I looked like an emo kid who watched too much 'Bleach' growing up, but at least I looked nothing like Luke Skywalker and that was the whole point. Like hell was I going to let Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru come to harm if I had the chance to stop it. Their deaths had originally served as motivation for Luke to leave Tatooine and fight the Empire, but that was completely unnecessary here. Buying those droids had immediately brought the two of them into the Empire's line of fire, so the simplest and most effective way to save them was to ensure that they never get involved at all. If I got the droids first, I could safely avoid the situation entirely. Failing that, a 'mysterious stranger' would buy them from the Jawas before they ever reached the farm.

Checking myself over one last time and not finding anything amiss, I folded my clothes in another bag and stowed them beneath the back seat of the speeder. All in all, it had taken less than thirty minutes for me to change my look, be back in the driver's seat and be on my way. At high speed, I drove off into the Dune Sea to start searching for a downed escape pod.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_Two and a Half Years Ago..._

"Bail left you with a secure means to contact him if you needed to, right?" I asked.

We had arranged another meeting for this week and Kenobi was attempting to instruct me on telekinesis. I was having a hard time with the finer aspects of control and had ended up crushing the small fruit I had been practicing with earlier. Kenobi was coaching me with a very squishy ball he had acquired. I was actually impressed by the idea. If I gripped it too hard, it'd distort, but not be destroyed. If it was too light, it just wouldn't work.

"He did," Kenobi confirmed, watching my progress. "Any particular reason for why you're asking?"

"I've been trying to think about how to save Alderaan," I told him. "Nothing truly effective comes to mind though."

"I'd be lying if I said that bit of news didn't disturb me greatly," Kenobi responded gravely. "I've also not thought of any way to avert those events as you've described them, unfortunately. From what you've told me, Alderaan was destroyed on Tarkin's order both to serve as an example of power for the finished Death Star and to send a message to other dissident groups. Given Alderaan's own involvement in Alliance activities, I'm not sure we could do anything to prevent it at this point. Did you manage to come up with something?"

"Nothing I'm satisfied with, I'll admit," I told him. I began throwing the ball up into the air and attempting to perfectly grasp it while it was in motion. The ball was only slightly distorted from the force I was inflicting on it as I did so. "The Alliance already knows about there being a secret superweapon program the Empire is conducting, they just don't have the details to take it down and neither do I. I wish I did, but the exact specs to the station aren't in my head and the advice 'search for a small hole two meters wide on a target the size of a small moon' isn't very useful. There's a half dozen ways the Alliance could eventually come across those plans according to what I know and none of those details really helps, because there's no way in which I'm confident I could interfere without placing everything at risk."

It was actually really starting to frustrate me. I didn't know enough to take direct action now, but knew just enough to feel like the answer was just out of reach. I didn't know which planet the Death Star was being constructed at, the defenses in place around it, or the exact location of the thermal exhaust port. I tried to console myself that maybe there was nothing I could do. According to Kenobi and corroborated by my own knowledge, Alderaan had been snubbing Imperial authority for years. There was no way I could stop everyone on the planet from disrespecting the Empire and there might just be no viable option to turn the Empire's opinion of the planet around. Maybe this was just one of those 'fixed points' time travelers talked about sometimes. Maybe the Force _had_ to make this happen and I just wasn't strong enough to fight it or smart enough to see a way around it.

I should just put it past me and focus on the training. I threw the squishy ball against the wall and caught it with the Force. It flattened like a pancake in the powerful telekinetic grip I held it in.

_'Stop it already,'_ I thought to myself, pulling the ball back to me. _'Let it go. You can't fix the galaxy and save everyone. You'll fail just by trying. Alderaan drew a target on itself with their own nature and you can't change that. Let. It. Go.'_

Except that according to Imperial census reports I could access on my datapad; Alderaan had a population of over two billion.

The ball flattened again as I caught it.

I sighed, pulling it back to me again and holding onto it as I thought. Kenobi took notice.

"You're distracted," he said. "Is it Alderaan?"

"Yeah," I confirmed. "I'm still trying to come up with a clever plan. Nothing so far."

"Perhaps therein lays the problem?" Kenobi suggested.

"What do you mean?" I asked, turning to him.

"Perhaps the reason you can't think of a clever plan is that you're thinking too much about it?" he replied, stroking his beard again. He did that a lot, I noticed.

"You're saying I'm overthinking it?"

"In my own experience, some of the best solutions to problems were the more direct ones. Run, fight, wait, or any mixture thereof. Overthinking a problem can cause hesitation, removing the possibility of choosing your own actions altogether. If nothing else, I believe that acting at all in these circumstances is more likely to improve the situation than worsen it. When preventing planetary destruction, I doubt there are many worse outcomes."

"'Just cut the damn knot,'" I muttered.

"What was that?" Kenobi asked.

"Just quoting something," I said as I realized the point of his short speech. "You're probably right. I have been thinking hard about this. Maybe _too_ hard. What if we just called him?"

"Didn't we already decide to try that?" Kenobi asked wryly.

"Yeah, but we just keep it simple when we do," I said. "We just warn him that very bad things are going to happen and that his life and planet are in danger. If there's anything that can be done, I imagine he will try it. Sending people and cultural items off world to a safe planet or maybe making Alderaan indispensable to the Empire in such a way that Tarkin wouldn't dare destroy it?"

"Bail is a good man," Kenobi agreed. "If anyone willing and able to do something to save even a fraction of Alderaan, it's him."

"He also trusts you and Jedi in general to a high degree," I added. "That certainly doesn't hurt. He'll take the warning seriously if it comes right from you. That it _will_ come from you may just make the difference between victory or loss here."

"I'll reach out to him soon then," Kenobi agreed aloud. "It may not seem like much, but at least it's something. It doesn't seem like much and we'll know in time if our efforts amount to anything, but..." he trailed off.

"We can at least know we tried something," I finished, feeling better that at least _something_ was going to be done.

I made a perfect catch the next time I threw the ball.

We practiced for another two hours until I had to head back to the farm. It was a few days later when Kenobi had updated me on the situation and informed me he had reached Bail Organa and had warned him of a 'very serious and very real' Force Vision he had which informed him that Bail's life was in danger since the Imperials were on to him for being a Rebel agent. He had gone on to mention that the Empire would attack and devastate Alderaan if nothing changed the current course of events. He advised that Bail take whatever precautions necessary to keep himself and his planet safe but especially Leia, short of actually removing her from her career path as a diplomat.

Bail had been skeptical at first, but Kenobi had insisted that it was important. As soon as he mentioned it came in a Force Vision he had while meditating, Bail had taken it much more seriously and had promised to look into it on his end and start taking precautions. He thanked Kenobi for the warning and ended the call.

At our next meeting, I was able to catch the ball perfectly each time I threw it until Kenobi decided to move my training forward.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_The Present..._

"Well, fuck." I uttered aloud.

It had taken me some time to find the downed pod. The Dune Sea was freaking massive, even on a speeder. I had gone around for hours looking until I had finally picked it out with my eyes as I looked. It was just a small distortion of the desert's natural shape when I first spotted it, but it became much more clear once I had gotten close.

Unfortunately, the occupants were long gone. There were tracks leading into the distance, but only in one direction as far as I could tell. I frowned as I looked at them as closely as I could and noted that they were headed towards a series of rocky mountains jutting upwards in the distance. That would be the same direction Artoo would have gone in as Threepio would have gotten huffy and went the opposite way. Except, it wasn't. There were no tracks going in that direction at all and while the light wind had distorted them somewhat, I could still discern footprints as well as tread marks going in the same direction towards the rocks.

I gave a cursory check with my binoculars in both directions, but didn't see anything. They must have hit the ground some time ago and set off almost right after. Ideally, I would have been able to pick them both up here or nearby and take them to Kenobi's place right after. If they had already been picked up by the Jawas, then Plan A was a bust and I was especially grateful that I had thought to get a disguise. I'd have to track down the Sandcrawler that had them both and buy them. Or at least, I'd have to find Artoo. Threepio was admittedly important, but Artoo was absolutely essential since he had the detailed plans for the Death Star in his data banks. I absolutely had to recover him, even if I couldn't get Threepio. Fortunately, they should both be together once I find the right damn Sandcrawler.

Jumping back in my speeder, I headed off in the direction of the mountains. On the way, I commed Kenobi to let him know that Plan A didn't work and I was moving on. He sympathized with the missed opportunity to get a hold of them quickly and wished the Force be with me as I continued my search. We kept the call short as we weren't sure if the Imperials were monitoring comm traffic in the area now that they had a capital ship in orbit. Better safe than sorry in this instance.

There was no sign of the droids as I drove up to the desert mountains. Once I started reaching the larger rock formations, I cursed as I realized the suns were going down soon and I had to hurry this up. Bad enough that I was heading into these mountains where I might be ambushed, but hanging out here after dark was damn risky. If the suns set before I found them, I'd have to head back to the farm empty handed. If that happened, that'd mean I'd failed to avert suspicion from my Aunt and Uncle and that they'd be in danger if the Empire came knocking.

My thoughts were bothered by a very clearly remembered image of a black column of smoke rising into the desert air as two blackened skeletons lay strewn in front of the homestead of the farm. I kept my feelings in check at the unpleasant thought, but quickly snapped out of it when I caught sight of a Sandcrawler parked with its lights turned on just up ahead.

_'Jackpot!' _I thought.

As I approached, I slowed the speeder down significantly and flashed my headlights at them several times as I approached. This was to signify to them that I wasn't here to cause trouble, but that I just wanted to talk and probably make a deal. It was customary for people to do this to avoid misunderstandings. Jawas might not look intimidating on their own, but they managed to survive just fine on the harsh world of Tatooine by banding together and taking precautions. I'd never seen it demonstrated myself, but it was a well repeated rumor that Sandcrawlers were surprisingly well armed and armored. At least, I'd never seen someone try and pick a fight with one.

I parked the speeder a respectful distance away and slung an old long-barreled blaster rifle that belonged to Uncle Owen over and onto my back before walking forward. It might seem strange to approach what's supposed to be a peaceful meeting with a weapon, but that's just how things are done out here. They might not take me seriously if I didn't have some kind of show of force, even if they and I knew that the old rifle wouldn't do me any good it it came down to a fight.

I waved at the group of Jawas who were huddling around a small campsite beneath the Sandcrawler's long shadow in the early evening light. There were six of them in total and at least four of them were armed. I kept my hands away from my sides and visible as I approached. As I got closer, one of them, who I assume was the leader, stepped in front of the others as his buddies stayed a few paces back and kept their hands on their weapons.

"Evening," I greeted shortly.

The leader jabbered away at me in response to that. Jawa language was...weird. Sentence structure and consonants were all mixed up and backwards at the same time. It was fortunate that Luke had learned it at a young age and could understand it well enough. The Jawa leader offered a standard greeting and asked who I was and what I wanted.

"Name's Clint Eastwood and I'm here looking for lost goods," I told him. Yeah, I was totally using that as a fake name. I blame the poncho, but I just couldn't resist it when coming up with a name.

He was quick to say that he and his people did not steal anything.

"That's fine," I said agreeably. "I didn't say you did. I'm looking for _lost_ property and I think you might have it."

He informed me that any goods recovered on the Dune Sea were fair game and even if they did find anything (which he denied they did), Salvage Law was on their side and I would have to take it up with the Tradesman's Union.

I didn't need the Force to tell that this was a show of bravado on the little Jawa's part and he was just trying to establish dominance in our talks. If I did try to report illegal seizure of goods, nobody would be happy with these circumstances or the investigation that would probably have to occur with what passed for legal authority on Tatooine.

"Because if you did have it," I said, acting like I hadn't heard that last bit he'd said. "I'd be very grateful. And I would be willing to pay you a finder's fee."

It was like I'd said the magic words. The Jawa's eyes lit up a bit more as he finally asked what I was looking for, because maybe they have it or could sell me a replacement.

_'Gotcha,'_ I thought happily. I also started reaching out with the Force to try and sense the emotions of the Jawas and their reactions to my next words. They might be very alien compared to human emotions, but I was confident things like greed could cross the language barrier.

"Two droids," I told him. "An astromech with blue and white markings and a protocol droid with a shiny gold exterior. I have their designations as well."

The Jawa made a clearly exaggerated thinking gesture and went on that they might have picked up some droids in the desert and tossed them in the back of their salvage bay, but he couldn't be sure they were the ones I mentioned. And by the way, how did he know I wasn't lying about them being my property in the first place?

"Because I know both of their designations and that they would have even been out here for you to find in the first place," I informed him, resisting the urge to roll my eyes at this exchange. I actually had sensed it when he had heard me describe the droids; recognition. He definitely had them. "The two had to come from somewhere and certainly didn't grow out of the desert sands."

The Jawa made a sort of high pitched buzzing noise that I interpreted as him playing coy with whether to believe me or not. I was starting to get annoyed and a little worried about this. I was heavily relying on the fact that the Jawas liked to play fast and loose with the rules regarding things like salvage and property and would be happy to make a deal if someone showed up with a stack of credits.

After another few moments of neither of us saying anything, the Jawa turned back to his companions and chirped a command to lower the rear loading ramp and to haul out the droids they had for sale. Turning back to me, he said that he'd be happy to let me take a look but asked exactly how grateful I was and what the finder's fee was.

"First, let's establish that you have them," I told him firmly.

The Jawa agreed and told me to wait a moment while they got their merchandise ready. The small group retreated back into the Sandcrawler and about two minutes later, I saw the ramp on the far side of the crawler start to descend.

I strolled slowly up to the back of the Sandcrawler as they started hustling various droids down the ramp. Some of them were even carrying crates filled with various pieces of junk which the Jawas were no doubt hoping to sell me while I looked for the two droids. I was passing the second set of giant treads when I was suddenly stopped.

"Hands up!"

I froze at the sound of the angry voice behind me making the demand accompanied by the distinct sound of a blaster charging up. Cursing internally, I held my hands wide and away from my belt and my blaster. Whomever this was, they had completely surprised me. I didn't expect anyone besides other Jawas to be in here and now, I was paying for it.

"Turn around. Slowly," the voice ordered.

I did and was totally taken by surprise when I saw who had gotten the drop on me.

Princess Leia Organa, dressed in nondescript grey fatigues but still sporting her classic cinnamon bun hairstyle, was pointing a small holdout blaster at me, looking serious as hell and ready to shoot.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" she demanded.

"What am _I_ doing here?" I asked in total surprise. "What the hell are _you_ doing _here_?!"

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

"Don't make me ask again! Who are you?!"

How in the flying fuck did she get here? This wasn't in any canon version I knew of! Not even the weird 'What If?' comics covered this happening! I had to calm down and start thinking here. Kenobi was always on my ass for keeping better control of my emotions and I actually agreed with him to an extent about how important that was.

But, I digress. Back to the situation at hand; Leia was still holding the small blaster pistol in her hands and was pointing it right at my face. In spite of that, the opportunity was just too good and I had only one response ready for that particular question from this particular person.

"I'm Luke Skywalker and I'm here to rescue you."

Of course, that sounded way cooler to me than it did to her.

"You're who?" she asked.

"Luke Skywalker," I told her again I sighed as she arched a skeptical eyebrow at me to show just how unimpressed she was with me and that answer. "Trust me, that name is a bigger deal to the right people."

"I'll bet," she mockingly assured me. "And who exactly do you work for, Skywalker?"

"If you wanted to stretch the answer to that a bit, technically, I work for you," I told her.

"For me?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"It's probably more accurate to say I work with General Kenobi, who works for you," I reply.

That was apparently the right thing to say. She lowered her blaster but didn't put it away as she searched my expression for any signs of deceit. "You work for General Kenobi?" she asked.

"I work _with_ him, not _for_ him," I emphasized. "It's certainly a good explanation for why I'm out here looking for the passengers of that escape pod, isn't it?"

"But it doesn't explain how you knew to even look for the droids or for me!" she said tightly. She didn't raise her blaster again, but I had little doubt that she could snap it back up and get off a shot in a blink of the eye if she had to. And I wasn't carrying a lightsaber to parry the shot with either, so she'd probably hit me. "How do I know you're not with the Empire?"

"Uh, because it's just me out here right now and not a company of stormtroopers with armored support?" I asked, as if it were obvious and she was weird for even asking. "If I was Imperial Intelligence and I knew of your connection to Kenobi or even that you were a member of the Rebel Alliance, you'd be in a hell of a lot more trouble."

I had absolutely no freaking clue if that was true or not. It just sounded plausible and my delivery of the idea sounding like it was totally obvious certainly helped sell the line.

"As for how I knew to come out here," I continued. "You know that Kenobi's got special powers, right? Well, so do I. I also already found your escape pod and the tracks led me in this direction. Plus, it's the only place even resembling shelter for several dozen kilometers around."

Kenobi would probably cringe at my casual mention of the Force as 'special powers,' but I really wasn't trying to get into a deep, descriptive conversation about Force Visions, guidance from a higher power, and how that all somehow explained how I was standing out here. I would much rather speed this up and get her to Kenobi's as fast as possible. I hadn't expected her to be out here at all and I had no idea what had changed to bring her here. I was starting to feel paranoid and wanted to get into hiding and then off Tatooine as quickly as possible.

"If you don't mind," I gestured behind me to the ramp with the droids arrayed out at its base. "We need to grab your droids and get the hell out of here. I don't know if you are aware, but that Star Destroyer is still in orbit and will be sending down search parties. We need to get you off world as quickly and as quietly as possible."

"Right," she agreed. "You have transport for myself and two droids, correct?"

Her tone had shifted to a more regal and commanding tone that replaced the harsh one she was using while pointing a blaster in my face. I guess she was much calmer now and I had passed muster as a Rebel, even if I technically wasn't.

"Just enough," I told her. "We also need to start gathering anything you brought with you so we don't leave any clues as to who you really were. These guys will sell you out the minute a stormtrooper sticks either a blaster or a fat enough credit chit in their face, but hopefully, the information they can potentially give will be vague enough that they won't have much of anything to go on."

"I already cut a deal with them," she informed me. "They were taking me to the nearest port and I could find my way from there. No questions asked."

"Uh, did you get that in writing?" I asked her sarcastically. "Because these crawlers make their rounds every season through the farming communities and circling _around_ the settlements, not travelling directly to them until they've finished. They wouldn't divert their whole trip just to take one hitchhiker into town. You didn't pay them yet, did you?"

Leia's silence was answer enough. I face palmed and groaned into my hand as I asked, "What did you pay with and how much?"

"A necklace and a blaster rifle," she informed me, looking unhappy.

"Well, the good news is that they would've gotten you to the nearest port, which is Mos Eisley," I sighed as I enlightened her. "The bad news is that it would have taken you a good two weeks to get there. And good luck making it that long without being stopped by an Imperial search party as they start landing troops to search for you and the droids. Even if you'd jumped off at one of the farms they'd be stopping at and bummed a ride from the people who lived there, the Jawas would've cited that you had broken your agreement and they'd keep your payment and probably whatever else they thought they could fleece from you."

"And you're certain of this?" Leia replied a bit angrily, but I had a sense that she was more angry with herself than anything.

"I grew up around here," I told her, not bothering to elaborate further as the statement was pretty self-explanatory. "Not much we can do about the necklace if they're determined to hold onto it. Was it important to you at all? Could it be traced back to you if discovered?"

"Just a piece of jewelry I had been wearing," she dismissed. "It won't be linked to me and I can get another exactly like it later of I have to."

For a moment, I marveled at the casual display of wealth and the literal worlds of difference in how we grew up, despite being siblings. Luke had grown up in a poor farming community and worked the land since he was old enough to not hurt himself or the equipment. I wouldn't go so far as to say he grew up in poverty, but he definitely wasn't rich. Leia on the other hand, was able to toss away jewelry with no concern and just get a duplicate later of she wanted. That's not a sleight against her, but it certainly painted a heck of a picture for the differences in our childhoods.

_'At least we both grew up loved,'_ I thought. _'Not every kid can say that, even in a galaxy far, far away. I can be grateful that Kenobi, Yoda, and Bail made sure of that much.'_

"Then let's get the droids and get going," I said. "Don't expect repayment from the Jawas for the blaster and your necklace though."

**AN: Well, what did you guys think? Let me know in the reviews how you're liking the story so far!**

**And to the guest reviewers who got butthurt over my opinion of the new trilogy of films; get over yourselves. If you're going to cuss me out for my opinion, at least have the courage to do it under an actual username instead of an anonymous review. If you'd like to use complete sentences to explain to me why I am wrong and leave out the profanity, I'll also leave your reviews up. As it is, cowardice and illiteracy gets deleted on my review pages. **

**Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan written story. Star Wars or any of the associated properties mentioned in this story are all owned by Disney and their respective companies, authors and/or corporations. This is purely a work of fiction written for pleasure and nonprofit. Please support the official release.**

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**Skywalker Resurgent Ch.3:**_** That Moment, a Chip in Time, Where Leaving Home is the Lesser Crime**_

All things considered, I believe we were fortunate to get out of there as quickly as we did. The Jawas huffed and squeaked over me taking Leia with me, but they weren't going to pick any sort of fight over it since she clearly wanted to go. They probably were just lamenting the chance to fleece Leia for the droids and anything else she might have had in the small emergency pack she was carrying with her from the escape pod. Jawas were viscous little bastards like that. You almost have to admire their determination.

I vaguely remembered an old EU story where Leia, Han, and Chewie came to Tatooine to recover some Alderaanian painting from a private auction. They ended up in the desert and came across a massacred group of Jawas around their Sandcrawler with only one survivor. Injured, alone, and surrounded by aliens ready to leave it to die, the Jawa still haggled over what the price would be for medical aid and information on their attackers. That's either greed on a level most humans can't truly comprehend or stubbornness the likes of which outlasts even the deserts.

We loaded up the droids and I got my first real introduction to C-3PO and R2D2. Threepio was every bit the prissy intellectual he was made out to be and gave polite introductions to himself and Artoo as we got them loaded up into the back seats. I was pleased to note that since this wasn't just some guy in a costume, he was definitely built with a much wider range of motion in his joints than the movies depicted, although his default stance seemed to have him still keeping his arms bent in front of him at an angle. Artoo's introduction was a bit more amusing. He bleeped out a casual 'hey, how's it going blonde guy?' in Binary, otherwise known as the droid language.

"I'm just fine, thank you for asking," I replied, smirking at his surprised, exclamatory whistle that I understood him. Luke had spent so much time around droids and communicating with them through readouts that he had picked up a respectable understanding of Binary as a boy. It might have been his/my own connection to the Force which helped me translate more meaning from it than the human ear may normally allow. It was a fairly rare skill since most people never bothered to learn it, but I was glad I could at least understand most of what Artoo was saying. That little droid had seen more action than any droid and most people in recent galactic history and was deeply intertwined in the Star Wars mythos and the Skywalker story in particular.

After securing them in the back of the speeder and declining one last sales attempt by the Jawas, we were on our way. I had insisted we drape a tarp over the two droids to 'protect them from stray sand,' but I had a more practical reason I didn't want to say with the Jawas so near but was fine with explaining to Leia once we were on our way. The Empire had likely started a search already for the occupants of that escape pod and I didn't want to risk being spotted any more than we already were. The last thing I wanted was for some flunky operating a scanner to note that a speeder carrying two passengers and two droids were spotted in the desert in the early evening just after that escape pod touched down. Sure, they might look into it later as to why we were out here at all, but we only had to fool them for a short while. Leia agreed with my reasoning and remarked she was glad I was so prepared, which I told her I took as a high compliment.

Hey, it's not paranoia if they're really out to get you. In this case, I really _should _be worried about the government spaceship in orbit spying on my activities.

We didn't really talk much at first as we raced across the desert, but I was bursting with curiosity as I drove us to Kenobi's place. I wanted to ask her about her own childhood on Alderaan and her career working in the Imperial Senate. This is Leia _Freaking_ Organa! I felt my old self bursting with fascination at this beautiful Carrie Fisher lookalike. Even in the Star Wars universe, she was something of a celebrity figure for her many publicized missions of mercy and spearheading disaster relief efforts on numerous worlds. I admittedly didn't keep up as much with the holonews as I'd have liked to since my training and other preparations took up too much time, but even Tatooine occasionally couldn't avoid the word of some Outer Rim world receiving shiploads of relief supplies from the Core Worlds. Leia's face was typically plastered at the top of those stories along with an article filled with so much Imperial propaganda, you could choke a bantha with it.

Quelling my inner fanboy, I turned to ask her the first question that naturally came to me. "How are you holding up?"

Abandoning her examination of the passing desert, she turned to look at me. "I'm fine," she said simply.

"It's gonna be a few minutes before we get to our destination," I told her. "How did you end up all the way out here?"

"Didn't you say you had some 'special power' that let you know that?" she asked with just a little bit of sarcasm in her tone.

"I've undergone training with Kenobi, but I'm no Jedi," I told her. "At least, I don't consider myself one. And even then, no Jedi or Force user is all knowing, no matter how much they might act like it at times or in stories."

Leia seemed to think about that for a few moments. I thought she wasn't going to say anything at all until she started speaking again. "I was on a mission and received vital intelligence that was relayed to my ship. However, the transmission was detected by the Empire and they figured we were the most likely recipients. They raided my ship and I escaped with my two droids."

"What kind of intel did you receive?" I asked, making myself sound only idly curious.

"You're not cleared to know that," she replied quickly.

"What, not even as General Kenobi's associate?" I asked.

"No," she said firmly, now giving me a very stern and serious look. I restrained a small chuckle since I found the look more cute than intimidating. There was no attraction there since I knew she was my sister, but it was probably that knowledge, plus the knowledge of who she was and her personality that made me look at her as though she was a friend who didn't seem to realize I considered us as such. Still, I'd do well to remember she had that holdout blaster on her person still and might just pull it back out if I didn't mind my words.

"Fair enough," I said finally. "How did you get down here? If you were boarded, wouldn't they have been looking to stop any escape pods from getting away?"

That had actually been bothering me quite a bit. I wasn't sure how she had ended up on that pod instead of just launching the droids and trying to bluff her way past Vader or how she hadn't been either tractored aboard or blasted apart after launching, but I was starting to have my own theories. The easiest way to confirm them was just to ask.

"They would have been," she agreed. "And they likely would have either captured or shot me down if my father hadn't taken precautions and had a special escape pod installed on my personal transport ship."

"Special escape pod?" I asked, expressing my surprise. Where the hell did that even come from?

"He insisted," Leia explained. "Especially after I became involved in Alliance activities. The pod was loaded with enough jammers and countermeasures to pay for it's own ship. It wouldn't fool more advanced sensor suites that knew to look for it, but it could serve as a quick getaway if needed. This time, it was needed."

"Huh," I said simply.

It made a certain amount of sense, I suppose. I knew from the original timeline that Bail was nervous letting his daughter get involved in the rebellion and that worry extended to letting her work in the Imperial Senate. More than one of those 'mercy missions' had certainly been a cover for some sort of work for the Alliance. I guess my warning through Kenobi to her father had been enough to get him to put his foot down and take precautions for his daughter's sake. Stealth tech wasn't easy or cheap to come by in the Star Wars galaxy and true cloaking tech was even more rare. Bail could have probably paid for at least two fully equipped X-Wings for what he paid to equip one escape pod with that level of protection.

She continued to explain about how the pod had made a safe entry to Tatooine's atmosphere, crashing in the Dune Sea. She explained salvaging the small emergency pack aboard the pod, which contained suitable supplies for a variety of environments, including a change of clothes from her usual gowns and dresses she was expected to wear while making public appearances. This conversation continued until we reached Kenobi's place. She had just gotten to the part where I had shown up and she had overheard that I was looking for two droids when I pointed out that we had almost arrived.

**~Skywalker Resurgent~**

Kenobi was standing outside to meet us as we pulled up. He was wearing his Jedi robes and looked very much like some old mystical figure as he lowered his hood to greet us upon our arrival. I don't care what he says; the man's a natural showoff.

Getting the droids out of the speeder was a much quicker process now that we had the seats configured for them already. Threepio just needed a hand for stabilization and Artoo just needed a good lift. So used to just doing things the normal way and being no stranger to manual labor, I didn't even think twice before heaving him out of the speeder and placing him onto the ground. He was a heavy little guy, but not as heavy as one might think. Lifting him had actually reminded me to check on his jet boosters later.

"You seem to have brought more company than you said you would," Kenobi started, looking at Leia as we exited the speeder and approached.

"Not my fault that they all came as a package deal," I replied, shaking his hand in greeting. I cleared my throat as I made the formal introductions. "Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, this is Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan. With her are C-3PO, her protocol droid and R2D2, her astromech. Princess Organa, this is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"General Kenobi," Leia greeted formally, bowing as she did so in a display of Core World nobility that wasn't seen much in this part of the galaxy. "It is an honor to meet you. My father has told me many tales of your great deeds for the Republic before it's fall and of your bravery in the Clone Wars."

"I'm not much of a 'general' these days, I'm afraid," Kenobi replied, bowing in turn. "However, it is a pleasure to meet you, your highness. Your father is a good man and I am in his debt for what he has done for me. I am happy to be able to render assistance to you now."

"Greetings, Master Kenobi!" C-3PO chimed in. "We are so happy to have found you! Your associate, Master Skywalker was quite fortunate to have found us so quickly. Those Jawas were far too keen to either sell me or scrap me for parts! Artoo and I are ever so grateful for your combined efforts and hospitality."

Artoo chimed in an agreeable tone, but followed it up by saying it had been some time since they had parted and he was very glad to see Obi-Wan again. Kenobi spared the droid a soft look, eyes filled with memory as he replied quietly that he was happy to see Artoo again as well.

I had told Kenobi awhile ago that Threepio had gotten a memory wipe after Padme's death, but Artoo had remembered everything. It may have been some small comfort, but I think that Kenobi would appreciate having someone around who had been through many of the same events he had been. I suspected the two would try to find the time to reminisce about the old days when they had the chance.

Kenobi showed us all inside and we took seats around the small sitting area, now more crowded than I suspect it had been since Kenobi had first moved in. Kenobi proved himself a gracious host and retrieved a small tray of assorted dry fruits and some water for us as we got settled. I picked the armchair to one side of the couch so I could take a look at the two droids and get started on routine maintenance with the small toolkit Kenobi kept here. Roaming through the desert and then the inside of a mangy Sandcrawler clearly hadn't done the two any favors.

After thanking us and taking a long drink of her water, Leia apparently decided it was time to get right to business.

"Master Kenobi," Leia began. "Earlier, you stated you would be happy to render assistance to me. It is my hope that I can take you up on that offer." Her shoulders straightened as she seemed to go into a prepared speech.

"Many years ago," she said formally. "You served the Republic alongside my father during the Clone Wars. Now, he and the Alliance are calling upon you to come to their aid once more. My ship was tasked with getting you to Alderaan, but unfortunately my ship was seized by the Empire en route to Tatooine and that will no longer be possible. I hold in my possession vital intelligence of an Imperial super weapon that must make it back to Alliance leadership. I have no doubt that the Empire will find reason to suspect that I was not only aboard the captured ship, but that I managed to escape. They will come looking for me soon. You are now my, and the Alliance's, best and last hope."

Silence reigned in the small dwelling following the end of her plea.

"Sounds like fun," I chimed in cheerfully. "When do we leave?"

Leia shot me a look I couldn't quite decipher as Kenobi chuckled and stroked his beard.

"You'll have to forgive my student here," he said. "What I'm certain he means to say is that we accept your request and would be happy to accompany and secure safe passage back to Alderaan with you."

"We can charter a ship in Mos Eisley tomorrow," I say. "Shouldn't be too hard to find someone willing to fly beneath the Empire's notice if we're willing to shell out a few extra credits."

"I see," Leia said, giving a great sigh of relief. "I am grateful for your assistance. Both of you."

That last bit sounded almost like an afterthought, but I'll take it.

"You are most welcome," Kenobi nodded respectfully towards her.

"If you'll all excuse me for a moment," I said, standing up. "I need to get cleaned up before I go anywhere else."

Walking to the back of the small hovel, I stepped into Kenobi's refresher unit and shut the door behind me. I had to drop this disguise before I got back to the farm so as to not invoke any awkward questions from my aunt and uncle. Also, the faster 'Clint Eastwood' disappeared, the better. Those Jawas would probably give up that name in no time at all if an Imperial patrol stopped them.

A few minutes of work and a change of clothes and I was back in my lighter farming clothes. A white tunic with wide sleeves and light tan pants to help beat the heat and keep relatively cool. I decided to stash the disguise back in the small pack I had originally kept it in. I had thought to ditch it here or in the desert, but I could always do that later and 'Clint Eastwood,' or whomever, may be useful later.

I walked out of the 'fresher still trying to get my hair back to just how I liked it. I walked back to the sitting area and retook my spot as I tuned in to the conversation and the question Leia was asking Kenobi.

"Is there a reason we can't just go now?" she asked. "The faster we leave, the better chance we have of avoiding any Imperial reinforcements that might have been called in."

"It's no good trying to get to Mos Eisley in the dead of night," I answered for her. "We're better off leaving in the morning. The port will be more active and we'll have a better chance of booking a ship quietly when the local bar goers are more sober and we're less likely to be noticed in the crowds."

_'Plus, a certain smuggler and his hairy copilot will definitely be hanging around at about that time,'_ I thought as my real reason.

Leia looked like she didn't quite agree with that logic and would have rather set out as soon as possible. But at seeing Kenobi's nod of acknowledgement to my statement, she apparently decided to not make a fuss over it.

"I'll get the droids cleaned up a bit tonight in my workshop and gather the rest of my things," I said, turning to look at Kenobi. "I'll be back in the morning and ready to go."

Before I could leave, Kenobi reached out and stopped me by placing a hand on my arm.

"Before you go, take this with you," he said. "It's about time you started carrying it with you full time."

I was about to ask him what it was he was talking about when he reached for my hand and slapped something metallic into my palm. I already knew what it was without having to look down.

Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber.

I suppose it was mine now since Kenobi had gifted it to me a long time ago, but I still felt that excited tingle mixed with trepidation when I gripped it. I knew the history of this weapon better than anyone except Vader and probably Kenobi. This saber had cut through legions of droids, fearsome predators, Dark Side practitioners and even Sith. It had also cut through the helpless Tuskan tribespeople and younglings at the old temple on Coruscant. The kyber crystal within it resonated with power and was clearly touched by the years of conflict and surging emotions it had experienced.

I had said as much to Kenobi when he had first handed it to me. He had been surprised by my knowledge of kyber crystals and that had led us into a brief discussion on the topic. Essentially, the crystals were alive, just not in the way that beings like Kenobi, myself or even a bantha were alive. They resonated with the Force and sometimes also with individuals strong enough in the Force or who had discovered them and forged a connection. This crystal responded to my touch through the Force, likely through the familiarity it sensed due to me being the son of the man who forged it as well as the hours I had spent practicing with it already.

Whenever we'd finish practicing, I would usually leave it here so as to not risk its discovery by my aunt and uncle or by one of my friends. Practicing with it at the farm was also pretty risky given the noise the blade made and the possibility of damaging things if I tried practicing my forms indoors with it.

It was with no small amount of excitement and trepidation that I realized I would be carrying this all of the time, or at least until I forged another for myself at a later date.

"Thanks, Kenobi," I said. "I suppose it is about that time."

I fastened the weapon to my hip with a simple clip that I could easily detach it from if needed. I found that I liked the feel of its weight on my hip.

I had given thought to forging my own lightsaber, but was never able to get around to it or justify the time it would take from my training and cover at the farm when this one worked just fine. Kenobi told me about there being natural kyber crystal deposits on planets like Ilum, but was surprised when I mentioned there was another in a cave on Dantooine near where a former Jedi Enclave used to exist. Since the Empire watched Ilum and the other known kyber crystal deposits in their territory, it would be some time until I was able to go through the Jedi rituals for acquiring my own crystal.

I had mentioned that Krayt dragon pearls could also be used, but we had both dismissed that idea for now. For one, those damn things were huge and dangerous. The blasted things had been known to munch on speeders and desert skiffs that had gotten too close and annoyed them. Even if I repeated the trick from KOTOR and lured one into a minefield, where the hell would I get that many military grade high explosives? How much time would I spend in the desert tracking one back to its lair? How would I carve the pearl without destroying it so it could work as a lightsaber focus? It was a shame, but for now, that option was also out of my reach.

Secure with the knowledge of the weapon at my hip, I powered up the speeder and set off back to the farm with the two droids.

**~Skywalker Resurgent~**

"Oh, by the _Maker_," Threepio had let out. "That is so much better."

I had brought the two directly to my workshop as I got back to the farm. Owen and Beru usually left me alone out here since I had pretty much made it mine with how I organized it and took care of all the maintenance for the vaporators and the farming droids out here. I even had a small couch I had bought with my spare funds and put in the corner. Aunt Beru had caught me sleeping on it once or twice when she had been unable to call me inside. She had insisted that if I was going to be falling asleep out here, she'd knit me a blanket. It was blue with white and black patterns zigzagging across it. I had been touched by the gesture, which was why I would be sure to remember to pack it in my bag when I left.

I had gotten Threepio into the heavy duty washer unit we kept out here since he had a lot more joints that needed servicing what with all the sand he had picked up in them. It was why more complex droids like Threepio needed regular maintenance or had to be specially constructed to avoid the level of wear and tear the desert inflicted on machinery. Artoo was a bit better off since he was built for vacuum exposure and dangerous maintenance work. Still, he clearly hadn't been serviced in awhile and I was going to have to check all of his tool compartments to ensure they worked as well as getting extra sand grains out of his treads.

After informing both Threepio and Artoo that I'd be back out a bit later to start cleaning them up, I washed my hands in the sonic scrubber (water is scarce out here) to hide any evidence that I'd been working on anything. Then, it was time to face the music as I went inside. I was barely through the door when I was confronted by my two guardians.

"Luke," Uncle Owen had practically growled at me. "I don't suppose I need to tell you what time it is. Your aunt and I have been worried. Care to explain yourself, young man?"

Aunt Beru sat in her chair and spared a look of relief before she schooled her expression into something more stern. Probably in a show of solidarity with her husband, but I imagine she was also worried when I wasn't back before dark.

I was a bit later than I had promised and Uncle Owen was clearly not happy about this. I was technically an adult and could do as I pleased but aside from still living here with them, these two had raised me from shortly after my birth. Times may have been hard in the past with the occasional rough season and having to put me to work from a young age, but I did care a lot for these two and knew they felt the same. Life wasn't easy as a moisture farmer on Tatooine, but we made the best of it. It was why what came next was so hard for me, but I was determined to see it through.

"I'm sorry that I'm so late," I began. "But there were all these Imperial troops making checkpoints at and around Toshi Station. Me and a couple of my friends were watching the commotion as their shuttles came down and started pouring out troops. Before we realized what was happening, they were setting up road blocks all around us and were stopping and checking everyone who was trying to leave the area. There was all this commotion as they started asking about all sorts of stuff and seemed like they were looking for someone."

"Empire soldiers just landed and started all this?" Uncle Owen said, sounding skeptical. "What would they be landing all those troops for?"

"I don't know," I lied. "Serza thought they might be here because of something the Hutts did, but they didn't seem to land anywhere near the old monastery Jabba took over if that was the case."

"You couldn't have commed us?" Aunt Beru asked. "It's hours later than when you said you'd be back."

"I was going to," I told her. "But I think they set up a jammer or something down at the station. One of the guys there was complaining about his call getting interrupted and some other guy couldn't get a signal at all. So, we figured the Imperials set up some kind of localized jamming field. We decided to just go through the checkpoints the normal way and get it over with as quickly as possible. Even then, it took us awhile."

This might have all seemed a bit elaborate for a cover story, but I was not only confident that this was exactly what had happened or was happening in several of the local settlements. I was also confident that this would get me off the hook so long as I didn't try to oversell it. You could only blame Sand People activity for so many problems before people suspected you were lying and I'd already used that exact excuse on a different occasion not so long ago. Luckily, cellphones weren't really a thing in the Star Wars galaxy. At least out here on Tatooine they weren't. They would have expected a call from a comm station at Toshi's and not from me directly.

The two of them seemed somewhat mollified by my story and I put on a genuinely remorseful attitude that I was sorry for making them worry. Truthfully, I was sorry. I knew my leaving was going to hurt them both, but I couldn't stand the idea of them dying for no good reason at all. I even told Uncle Owen I was going to make up for a bit of lost time by working in the maintenance shack tonight on a few different things. He seemed happier that I appeared to be owning up to my actions and wanted to make amends for them while Aunt Beru was just glad that I was safe. I gave her an extra big hug before she and Uncle Owen went to bed, Aunt Beru informing me not to work too hard and that there were leftovers in the freezer unit if I was hungry.

And like that, they were both gone. They were only in the next room, but I knew I wouldn't see them again for some time, if ever. I didn't want to make this into a tearful goodbye scene and I didn't want to make any sort of big production out of this. It might have been cowardly of me, but I wanted to just be gone and leave the two of them with the message I had prepared a short while ago. It wasn't anything too elaborate and even was mostly true.

I told them about coming across an escape pod and finding something inside. It was terrifying and it was also a plea for help that I couldn't ignore. I might have stumbled across it by accident but just by having seen it, I was in danger and so were they if I stuck around. I told them not to worry about me and that I had a plan to stay safe. I'd come back to visit if I could, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to because of the danger I might bring with me. I had left some credits to help them get by without my help for a bit (nearly emptying my personal savings, pitiful as it was) and promised to send more if I could. I told Uncle Owen I was sorry for leaving when I know he wanted me to stick around for at least another season before applying to one of the offworld academies, but I hoped the credits I was leaving might help him offset that a bit. I told Aunt Beru I was sorry for leaving without a proper goodbye and promised to stay safe.

With all that was going on, I suspected that I wasn't going to get much sleep that night. I had to pack the last of the stuff I was taking with me and the droids could still use some touching up before we headed out tomorrow.

On the plus side, I'm certain Artoo and even Threepio made for interesting conversation partners if nothing else. And speaking of Artoo, I still had to take a look at those jet boosters. Come to think of it, didn't Anakin install some custom upgrades right around the time of the Clone Wars...?

**~Skywalker Resurgent~**

Leaving the small holo message on playback at the workbench, I departed in the early hours of the next morning. I had packed a medium sized rucksack containing a few sets of clothes and my personal effects. I had left most of the workshop tools and equipment behind with the exception of one item I had hidden in a plain grey carrying sack about the size of a gym bag. I was probably going to need it later.

I arrived with the droids to find that Kenobi and Leia were ready to go. Leia only had the small emergency pack she had been carrying the day before, but Kenobi was carrying his own small pack and had a medium sized box sitting at his feet. I recognized it as the case containing the spare lightsaber parts he had in his possession as well as the special equipment needed to forge lightsabers. It also contained a few mementos strictly related to his life as a Jedi that he couldn't risk getting rid of, such as his thoughts and teachings on his own form of lightsaber combat which he had taken to recording in his spare time.

Leia checked that Artoo and Threepio were secured in the back of the speeder before climbing in herself and squeezing in to the small space left for her to sit comfortably. I found myself thinking myself extremely fortunate that she wasn't the stereotypical princess-type. The kind that would probably demand better seating and to not be stowed in the back besides two droids and the luggage. Leia was a very practical and sensible young woman, which is why I think so many people respected her so much after meeting her or seeing her in action.

I didn't say much after I greeted the two and grabbed the box by Kenobi's feet. We had just enough space for everything as I made a few careful adjustments to the packing order and got everything to fit securely. I was being quieter than I usually was and I think Kenobi noticed. He came to stand beside me before we got in to the speeder.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," I told him lightly as I settled back in the driver's seat and swallowed a sudden burst of emotion that had come up with the question. "The only path left is straight ahead."

Nodding, Kenobi took his own seat and we set out, leaving everything else behind.

**AN: Shorter than I wanted it to be, but I thought it was a good idea to break it off there for this chapter. The good news is that means I've already got a head start on the next chapter where we reach Mos Eisley and put Tatooine behind us and get to the good stuff.**

**I realize I'm fudging the timeline a bit by a day or two by pushing events forward, but I'm banking on the fact that you guys want Luke off of Tatooine and getting to the real adventure as quickly as possible. I know I sure do!**

**Also, just so you guys know, I am currently going to school to finish getting my degree as well as working two jobs. Updates might be slow unless I can get time between the busy periods of my week, but I promise you that this story isn't abandoned and I do read your reviews. If I don't respond to the questions, I assure you it is because I am busy.**

**So we're starting to see ripples come out of our MC's actions already. Bail was definitely worried about his daughter's safety since she became involved with the rebellion and it's not all that odd that he'd want to take precautions to help ensure her safety. Given Kenobi's warning, he might have finally put his foot down and insisted on at least an upgraded escape pod. True cloaking devices are extremely rare in the Star Wars universe, but we see examples of stealth tech being used even during the Clone Wars. Apart from more or better bodyguards, ensuring Leia could make a quick escape if one of her missions went wrong seems like a practical use of funds as far as he'd be concerned.**

**Also, I'd like to remind you all that while I am not including much of anything from Rebels and only the relevant bits from the Clone Wars, I do read your suggestions and take them seriously. If there's a lot of mention of a specific character you'd all like to see, let me know in PMs or your reviews along with what you think of the story so far. I've already gotten a couple of requests for a specific character to make an appearance, so we'll see how that goes.**

**Please leave a review and I thank you all for all of the support you've given me!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan written story. Star Wars or any of the associated properties mentioned in this story are all owned by Disney and their respective companies, authors and/or corporations. This is purely a work of fiction written for pleasure and nonprofit. Please support the official release.**

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**Skywalker Resurgent Ch.4: Never Let Them See You Sweat**

We arrived at Mos Eisley a little over an hour and a half later. It may not have been much to look at, but it was the main starport for the planet and the only prudent place to look for a ride offworld. That meant a lot of ships were always passing through and we could see plenty of them parked in the landing bays we could spot as we gazed over the large town from a nearby cliff as we approached. Of course, the view was somewhat soured by the sight of a pair of Imperial shuttles parked on the outskirts and a temporary camp being set up around them.

As we pulled up to the port, we noted that there was a checkpoint set up along the main road into town. About a dozen stormtroopers were scattered about either in overwatch positions or checking people coming in to town. Not wanting to make a scene by trying to circle the port and look for another way in, I kept going forward and pulled up to the checkpoint closest to us. We were fourth in line to be inspected, so we had a few minutes to spare.

"Let's keep it calm and quiet and there won't be any trouble," Kenobi warned softly beside me.

"Agreed," I said. I glanced behind me, just in time to see Leia shift in her seat and seem to hide something in her lap and under the cover of her shirt. Her position hid it well, but it wasn't hard to guess what she was concealing. She had also pulled out a white headscarf from somewhere that covered most of her braided head and much of her face, leaving her eyes exposed for her to see clearly. As far as disguises went, it had the benefit of being simple, yet effective.

"Relax," I told her. "It's just a checkpoint and we're just some locals looking to come into town to make a sale of our grandpa's droids. We'll cruise right on by."

"I'll be ready if this doesn't pan out," she insisted. "I can't allow them to uncover my real identity or to take the droids."

"We've got this," I told her confidently. "Just sit there and try to look like a typical bored teenager. This won't take long."

The last speeder in front of us was soon finished and we pulled forward. It was showtime.

"State your business for being in the port today," the sergeant drawled out, obviously tired of having to ask that question countless times already.

"Looking to sell our grandfather's droids," I returned promptly, almost eagerly as I put on the act of being a nervous but compliant local. "I'm here to drive because the speeder is mine and my sister is here mostly to haggle and probably shop while she's here. Blasted Jawas refused to offer a good price, so we're hoping someone here is looking to-"

"How long have you had these droids?" the sergeant interrupted.

"Uh, about four or five seasons?" I answered, turning my head to my 'grandfather' as if seeking confirmation.

"Five seasons," he answered politely.

"Five seasons, sir," I nodded and smiled back at the sergeant, putting on my best 'dumb farm boy' look.

"Let me see your identification," the sergeant ordered.

"You don't need to see our identification," Kenobi said in a friendly tone, waving his hand at the stormtrooper sergeant.

"We don't need to see your identification," the sergeant and his two troopers repeated in a bland tone.

"These aren't the droids you're looking for," Kenobi said next.

"These aren't the droids we're looking for," the three repeated.

"They can go about their business," Kenobi continued.

"They can go about their business," the three repeated again.

"Move along," Kenobi finished.

"Move along," the sergeant alone said this time, waving us through the checkpoint and into Mos Eisley proper.

I waited until we were halfway down the street and well away from the checkpoint before I shot Kenobi a sour look. "You couldn't have just done that from the start?" I asked.

"Everything is a learning experience, young Luke," Kenobi answered, smiling a little too broadly for my tastes.

"And those were a lot of blasters being pointed at us," I retorted.

"And yet," Kenobi replied. "You handled yourself well. You didn't try a mind trick of your own, I noticed."

"Because I have no practice with it," I replied, swerving around a dewback that was standing a little too far into the street. "I'm not about to attempt something like that on the fly when I've already got you riding shotgun. Y'know, for a man who is a famed _negotiator_, you certainly kept quiet in that confrontation." I said, placing extra emphasis on the word that was also Kenobi's old nickname from the war.

"Nevertheless, you handled yourself well," Kenobi repeated. "I wanted to see how you responded to real pressure and you performed well. You had a good chance of getting by on your own, even had I not been there. You will have to practice more with the illusion and deception arts while using the Force, my student."

"Oh indeed, _Master __Jedi_," I responded, not even hiding my sarcasm at this point. "I shall endeavor to meet those lofty expectations you hold for me."

"I'm sorry, but could someone explain just what happened back there?!" Leia suddenly demanded, interrupting our banter.

"Kenobi's full of himself. That's what's going on," I answered. "But I suppose you mean at the checkpoint. That was a Jedi Mind Trick. Works well on weak minded folk and people who just aren't paying attention. It probably didn't hurt that he and his buddies were likely bored as hell from having to stand guard at a hot and sandy checkpoint in what is essentially an insignificant little town in the middle of nowhere. Basically, Kenobi tricked them by telling them to think and even do things that came easily to them. Letting us go is a good example of that."

"You had them in a sort of trance," she responded, seemingly talking to both of us now. "They just repeated what you wanted them to."

"We were fortunate that those stormtroopers weren't the sharpest bunch," Kenobi replied modestly. "And Luke was correct that they were barely paying any attention. I speculate that they've been at this for some time and are growing extremely bored with their assigned duties."

"Would that work on anyone?" Leia asked curiously. "I can think of quite a few uses for a power like that, even if it only worked on idiots."

"Not always," Kenobi clarified. "A Jedi has to be careful in their approach to the technique. Too much and either it'll be noticed, or possibly put the subject in a catatonic state. Too light a touch and it just won't work."

"Not to mention you have to be careful to get the whole group," I commented. "If he'd only gotten the sergeant back there, his two buddies would've noticed right away that something was up. Then, there are the species or individuals who are naturally immune or extremely resilient to it by virtue of biology or mental fortitude. It's a great trick, but only when used in the right time and place."

"I see," Leia said, still sounding intrigued by the concept.

We decided it'd be a lot more convenient as well as safer to rent a small storage shed beside the starport for the next few hours to put the droids in along with the speeder. I already knew the bar wouldn't let them hang around with us (because they weren't paying customers) and I didn't want to risk a patrol walking by and seeing the two out in the open. The Empire might be making a thorough search of the area, but even they would hesitate before cracking open random storage sheds on a planet controlled by the Hutts. Too much trouble for them when there were plenty of random citizens and droids in the open to harass.

Leia was locking the shed up and advising the two (read: Threepio) to stay out of trouble and out of sight. I had already asked Artoo to make sure nobody tried to steal the speeder and told him to comm me if anything came up. He replied with a 'On it, sir!' that I felt should have been accompanied by a jaunty salute if Artoo had arms to perform the action with.

I leaned over to Kenobi as Leia finished locking up the shed.

"You remember the plan from here on out?" I asked quietly.

"Of course," he replied, just as quiet. "You feel confident proceeding as we originally discussed?"

"Absolutely," I told him. "As a reminder, keep an eye out for the Anzat in case he feels like trying to take a bite out of any of us and be ready if and when those jerks try to pick a fight with me at the counter."

It may surprise some people to know that the 'Cantina Scene' in the original film has been expanded upon greatly by various authors in the decades after the initial release. Many stories were made of the bizarre and alien creatures hanging out in the bar and probably were only on screen for a handful of seconds at best. While a number of them were interesting, yet irrelevant, there were a few that stood out. Like the Star Wars equivalent of a vampire that was hanging out and contemplated feeding on Kenobi and I once we entered. He ultimately decided against it, but I admit that the knowledge that he was there and hungry for us made me edgy. Leia also exuded a strong Force presence and I didn't want to risk the temptation to be too strong and have him try to ambush one or more of us.

Then there was the mangy, pig-faced fellow who'd confront Luke at the bar, Cornelius Evazan other wise known as Mr. I-Have-The Death-Sentence-In-Twelve-Systems-Let-Me-Yell-About-It-In-A-Bar-Full-Of-Bounty-Hunters-And-Opportunists.

There were probably one or two more details that might've mattered a little but in my defense, the fandom was packed with so much stuff for even the most minor characters that I figured I was bound to forget some of the more inconsequential stuff. The stuff that stuck out in my memory here was pretty much limited to 'space vampire' and 'wanted criminals picking a fight.'

Kenobi nodded his acknowledgement of my warnings as Leia approached, adjusting her headscarf once more to make sure it was firmly in place.

"Where to from here?" she asked.

"Where does anyone go in a new town to find information and elicit potentially illegal services?" I asked rhetorically, a big smile on my face.

**~Skywalker Resurgent~**

The cantina was certainly looking pretty busy when we walked up to it. A couple of guys dressed like spacers walked in ahead of us and we got a blast of that classic Star Wars Cantina Song, which was pretty standard fare for these kinds of places. At least it had the benefit of being catchier than most of the other music I've heard around Tatooine. This place was starved for good musical taste.

"Probably best for you to stick close and try not to speak to anyone," I muttered to Leia as we waited for traffic to thin a bit before crossing the street to the cantina doors. "We don't want to risk anyone recognizing you or calling attention to us if we can help it."

"I can handle myself just fine, Skywalker," Leia replied. "Let's just hurry this up."

"Fair enough," I muttered, not wanting to argue.

Honestly, I was debating with myself with having her wait with the droids while we handled this. She was an extra element added to the situation and I couldn't be sure what difference that might make. However, I was even more wary of letting her out of sight with all these patrols around. Besides that, I didn't think she would stay behind unless I could first get Kenobi to side with me on this and we both had a damn good reason backing up the argument to do so. Leia was clearly accustomed to being involved in difficult situations, assuming she wasn't the one creating it in the first place.

We crossed the sandy street and made our way inside the rather large cantina. The place was packed with customers drinking, talking, and doing all kinds of stuff. One human-like guy at the bar was enjoying some kind of hookah while I spotted a pair of women dressed identically in green with dreadlocks and painted faces looking disdainfully at the short man who looked like he was failing badly at chatting them up.

We walked up to the bar and Kenobi immediately started chatting with the spacer to his right. Leia was standing right beside him, looking cool and nondescript, which was good. I walked up to her other side and kept her between Kenobi and I just to give extra discouragement for anyone who tried to approach her or harass her.

Sure enough, a complication came at us about thirty seconds after I ordered my drink from the bartender.

The Aqualish beside me tapped me on the shoulder and said something in his native language, which I didn't understand. It just sounded like walrus noises to me. I waved my hand in a negating gesture while trying to convey that I wasn't interested. He apparently didn't like that and gave my shoulder a shove, forcing me to turn to him.

"Guy, I don't understand what you're saying," I told him.

"He doesn't like you," the pig-faced man beside him spoke up. He looked like he had started life as a regular human, but had been in some unfortunate accident that had disfigured his face. The disfigurement didn't appear to have healed in a normal way. More like some kind of accident that was either never repaired or just repaired very badly.

"Well, that's unfortunate," I told him. "I'm going to finish my drink, so excuse me."

"I don't like you either," the man slurred out, clearly intoxicated. "You best watch yourself. We're wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve systems."

In any other circumstance, I would have totally ignored talk like that from a random drunk in a bar. I mean, what are the odds of it being true? However, I knew this guy was Cornelius Evazan and he was completely serious. He was a wanted 'mad doctor' who was known for committing horrible experiments on abducted bystanders as well as his customers who came to him for cheap, back alleyway surgeries. There was a story about how he once avoided being captured by Boba Fett by unleashing over a dozen lab-created zombies that used to be people he had abducted and experimented on.

The Aqualish with him had teamed up with him to be his partner/muscle and knew full well what a monster this guy was. He just didn't care since Evazan made for a good cash cow. I didn't remember his name and he hadn't made the wanted posters yet since he had only recently teamed up with Evazan and hadn't gotten notorious enough for his own poster. Everzan was actually a wanted man and had been in the holonews with gruesome pictures of his victims.

Originally, he and his buddy had run off and survived this encounter. Looking at things from my perspective though; I saw no reason not to take up a more civic minded response if the two of them persisted here.

"Guys," I tried, sounding friendly. "Whatever you're after here, it's not worth it. Trust me. Let's just go back to our drinks."

Apparently taking my tone as weakness and not a warning, Evazan took a step forward and grabbed my shirt.

"Farm boy thinks he can just come in here and talk to me like that?" he slurred angrily.

Before I could point out I had come in here and _they_ had then talked to _me, _Kenobi stepped around to my side and I sensed Leia behind the two of us, probably getting ready to shoot someone if needed.

"Now, is this one really worth fighting over?" Kenobi asked rhetorically. "Let me order you a drink and we can put this all behind us."

Evazan apparently didn't like that idea and let out an inarticulate shout of anger as he pulled back his other fist and got ready to punch me in the face.

Having been waiting for the insane criminal to make a move like this, I pulled out my lightsaber from my belt and held it ready in my hand with my thumb over the activator switch. At the same time, I grabbed Evazan by his arm that was still gripping my shirt and pulled him closer to me, upsetting the intoxicated man's balance and throwing off his punch as I was suddenly holding him in place right in front of me.

I hit the activation switch on my lightsaber.

The white and blue energy blade cut right through the man's flesh as it - obviously - offered no resistance. Due to the angle of my lightsaber at my hip's level and me suddenly dragging my opponent forward, the blade cut right through his gut at an upwards angle and exited out his upper back, flash frying tissue and organs as it went.

Evazan kept his grip on my shirt while he let out a surprised gurgle at the sudden and violent retaliation. He probably thought this was going to be a fistfight and hadn't counted on a 'farm boy' pulling out a weapon. He kept his grip for a moment longer before I deactivated the blade and shoved him back, letting him fall to the floor. His eyes stared wide at the ceiling and he didn't move an inch.

The Aqualish gave an enraged shout like a walrus before trying to charge at me for killing his meal ticket/partner. At that point, Kenobi took a single step forward and activated his own lightsaber with a flourishing movement. The Aqualish was suddenly falling backwards and to the side, now bereft one arm as well as the blaster that was clutched in its hand.

Leia stepped between the two of us with her own blaster out and at the ready, but it was already over. The 'fight' had only lasted a few seconds and the bar was now silent and observing us cautiously.

We all stood there for what I believe was only a few seconds, even if it felt longer. The rest of the cantina's patrons eventually turned back to their business now that the excitement was over and looked like there wouldn't be any more right now. Leia lowered her blaster and Kenobi and I deactivated our blue lightsaber blades. Kenobi turned to me, a look of concern on his face.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," I answered. I let out a slow breath as I placed my lightsaber back on my belt. My hands didn't shake, but I took a calming breath to get myself centered again.

Growing up on Tatooine was nobody's idea of 'safe,' but that didn't mean I was completely callous with taking a life. Growing up on a moisture farm, I had helped Uncle Owen and a bunch of the other local farmers in our community fend off raiding parties of Sand People in the past. I knew for certain that this wasn't my first kill and I had had some time to process the sensation so it didn't bother me overly much to have done so again. Especially not for a scumbag like this.

A serving droid came out and began to drag Evazan's body away. A second one came over to pick up the Aqualish's arm and blaster. Apparently, this sort of cleanup was routine enough that the droids didn't even wait for orders before acting and disposing of dead customers. The bartender was already back up on his feet and was just dusting himself off after having hit the deck in preparation for a possible firefight that never happened.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I was tempted to haul Evazan's body to wherever the bounty claiming office was and collect on the reward for his death. What kept me from trying just that was the fact that I knew we were on a tight schedule here and I had no idea where to go and what paperwork would be required for that. I somehow doubt I could just drag a corpse through the streets until I found the place I was looking for, even on Tatooine. I also doubted that we wouldn't be noticed even faster by an stormtrooper squad if we tried. So with a sigh, I downed the drink the bartender had left out for me and lamented that there would be no easy money today.

A few moments later, Kenobi tapped me on the shoulder to get my attention. He did the same to Leia as gestured for us to follow him to where a tall Wookiee with a heavy bandoleer over his chest was standing. He had thick, brown chestnut colored fur and was one of the tallest beings in the bar at about two meters tall.

"Chewbacca here," he indicated the tall Wookiee with a tilt of his head. "Is the First Mate of a ship that just might suit us."

**~Skywalker Resurgent~**

And there he was. Looking like a young Harrison Ford, he wore his signature black vest with pockets and a white long sleeved shirt underneath that. He had a thick brown leather belt with a blaster holstered on it as well as what looked like a variety of other small tools. His pants were a dark blue and had a distinguishing red stripe running down the sides. I knew this to be the Corellian Bloodstripe, which was an award Han had gotten from the Corellian Military for some reason I wasn't quite sure of. It was the only military award he had been allowed to keep after being discharged from the Imperial Navy.

We all took a seat on one side of the booth. Kenobi took the inner spot near the wall, followed by myself and Leia in that order. Chewbacca took his own spot beside Han.

"I'm Han Solo," he introduced. "Captain of the _Millennium Falcon_. This is my First Mate, Chewbacca. He tells me you're looking to book passage to the Alderaan system."

"Yes, indeed. If it's a fast ship," Kenobi clarified.

"'Fast ship?' You've never heard of the _Millennium_ _Falcon_?" Han inquired with an air of smugness about him. "It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs."

Now, this had been a confusing point for some people and the new canon explanation wasn't much help. The Kessel Run was actually the term for the stretch of space saddled up alongside of the Kessel System known as the Maw. It was a churning nightmare of blackholes and trapped stellar matter that made navigation an absolute nightmare in the region. It also provided excellent cover for spice runners to pick up cargo from Kessel and get it past Imperial patrols which didn't dare get closer than the minimum safe distance as dictated by their navicomputers.

The smugglers who did go closer than that, like Han, were known for their daring and excellent piloting skills. Get too close and you'll get sucked in to the Maw and ripped apart by the gravitational waves. Play it safe and you'll probably get boarded or shot down by an Imperial patrol or even a rival gang's mercenary forces. What Han was claiming was that his ship flew the razor edge across the edge of the black holes and actually shortened the time by a considerable margin and didn't get himself killed. At those distances, time and space started to warp a bit and affect one's flight plan.

I knew he was telling the truth, probably. Han probably had the flight recording stashed somewhere, if only for the bragging rights it gave him. Kenobi and Leia however, looked rather skeptical at Han's proclamation. To be fair, it did sound like he was talking out of his ass here.

"I've outrun Imperial starships," Han continued, Chewie nodding along. "Not those local bulk cruisers mind ya, I'm talking about the big, Corellian ships."

I was working to keep a smile off of my face as I sensed my two companions' lack of amazement at Han and his attempts to build himself up.

"She's fast enough for you folks," Han assured us confidently. "What's the cargo?"

"Not much," Kenobi said lightly. "Just myself, my two young companions, two droids, and _no questions asked_."

Han smirked at the recitation. "What you guys in some kind of local trouble?"

"Let's just say, we're looking to avoid any Imperial entanglements," Kenobi answered with a smile.

"Well," Han replied leaning back in his seat. "That's the real trick, isn't it? I can handle it, but it's gonna cost ya something extra."

We all remained silent as we looked at him, prompting for him to name his price.

"Ten thousand. All in advance," he informed us.

I could feel Leia's indignation beside me as she seemed ready with a hot retort to that price. A part of me also balked at that clearly outrageous figure, but I was expecting it. I also knew that not only would Han take our counteroffer, but he actually needed that money for something. Jabba had put him on notice for loosing a shipment of spice a short while back and Han had to pay up soon, or Jabba was going to put a bounty out on his head. Jabba mentioning it around Greedo was his way of putting the pressure on Han since Greedo was one of the few lackeys Jabba had around him that was dumb enough to run off and try to shoot Han without any sort of plan. Sure, he was gonna try and overcharge us for this, but at least it was his life he was trying to save here and not simple greed.

Still, I didn't want him to think we were suckers, so I wasn't going to just take that lying down.

"Ten thousand?" I repeated skeptically before anyone could say anything else. "If you're not going to take this seriously, then we're just wasting our time here and we'll get back to asking others. You realize we could almost buy our own ship for that much?"

"Oh?" Han returned. "And who's gonna fly it, kid? You?"

"Easily," I responded flatly, not backing down from Han's cocky look.

"All the more reason for us to walk away now," Leia decided aloud, starting to stand up.

Kenobi held up his hands in a placating gesture and Leia and I both settled down back into our chairs. I think Leia might have caught on to our game here, but it was hard to tell since I could sense she was a bit pissed at Han for gouging the price like that.

"We can pay you two thousand now," he offered. "Plus fifteen upon reaching Alderaan."

"Seventeen?" Han asked, sounding both surprised and skeptical of the offer. After watching Kenobi look him in the eye and nod in affirmation, he gave a small grin and nodded himself.

"Okay, you've got yourselves a ship," he said. "We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Docking Bay 94."

"We'll get our things and meet you there," Kenobi agreed.

Looking over our shoulders, Han made a comment. "Looks like your little show attracted someone's attention."

Turning my head slightly, I saw the unmistakable shapes of two stormtroopers stepping into the cantina and walking up to the bar. They still had their helmets and gear, so it was probably safe to assume they weren't here for a drink.

"That'll be our cue to depart," Kenobi said, standing up and putting his hood up. Leia and I stood up and followed after him. Before we got far, I stopped. I then turned back to Han.

"One more thing though, Captain Solo," I said.

"What's that?" Han asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Keep your eyes on me and don't react. There's a Rodian by the docking bay entrance. His name's Greedo. He's been eyeballing you this whole time with his hand on his blaster. Mind yourself and we'll see you in Bay 94."

Han's eyes widened, but he didn't jump in his seat or turn his head to look. Chewie likewise didn't react outwardly, but gave a low huff and a growl at the information. Han exchanged a look with Chewie before turning to me and nodding in appreciation. I nodded politely to him and Chewie as I walked away quickly to rejoin the others.

I had no doubt Han could handle Greedo and thus didn't feel the need to stick around and see how things turned out or otherwise interfere. As we all know; Han shoots first.

**~Skywalker Resurgent~**

_POV Change: Han_

"Chewie," Han asked slowly. "You said two of them were carrying lightsabers, right? The old man and the kid?"

Chewie huffed an affirmation.

"Definitely something up with them," Han commented. "Seventeen thousand is too good to pass up, but it's also a lot to offer up front for a simple ride, even past Imperial patrols. Maybe they're just desperate."

Chewie growled out a question.

"I don't have a clue how he noticed Greedo or knew his name," Han confessed, frowning at this puzzle. "He certainly didn't look the part of one of Jabba's goons. If he was, why not try and apprehend me himself for a reward? Why point out Greedo at all? And desperate or not, this job is gonna save my neck."

Chewis growled another question, this time with some amusement.

"Yeah, I guess that technically makes me the desperate one. You get back to the ship and get her ready. I'll handle Greedo."

**~Skywalker Resurgent~**

_POV Change: Luke_

"You don't think you could have haggled over the price a bit more?" Leia asked. "He's definitely overcharging us on this, even for his supposed talent for avoiding the Empire and getting us there fast."

"It's a tidy sum, to be sure," Kenobi agreed. "However, I believe we will be getting what we pay for. He's certainly confident on his ability to deliver."

"Plus," I added. "We can only really pay him the two thousand right now. For a job like this, we'd have to sweeten the pot a bit if we expected him to accept it and not screw us over. Seventeen thousand is fair for what we're asking, considering he's also taking a few risks with us as his passengers."

"Still seems like he deserves less," Leia grumbled.

"We'll make do," Kenobi assured her. "I'm sure your father will agree that fifteen thousand credits is a small price to pay for those plans and your safe return. Luke, you plan on selling your speeder, yes?"

"Not like I'll be able to take it with me," I replied. "Let's get this done, fast. I don't like how many stormtroopers I keep seeing around every corner."

We got back to our rented shed and picked up Artoo and Threepio. Luckily, Mos Eisley was a busy port. At least, by Tatooine standards it was. Selling my speeder wasn't too much trouble, although I was tempted to try a mind trick when the slippery bastard I was selling to kept trying to drag out negotiations for a better deal. In the end, I walked away with enough that we could pay the two thousand for our trip and had a little extra for anything else that may crop up.

Looking around as we headed to the hanger bay, I was feeling a slight sense of apprehension. I knew there was an Imperial informant somewhere around here, but I couldn't pick him out. That was probably the whole point of his job, but it still annoyed me. I didn't believe for one second that we were just fortunate enough to have completely evaded attention.

Coming up to Bay 94, we met Chewbacca at the entrance. He was leaning beside the wall with his bowcaster rifle out and seemed to have been waiting for us. He opened the side door for us and ushered us all in before closing the door behind us and leading us around the corner to where the ship was parked.

At a first glance, she might not seem that impressive. The scratches on the hull, the sloppy welding jobs on the repair work, and the clear need for a paint job didn't really add up to what most people would call a beautiful ship. However, I knew what a deadly package the _Millennium Falcon _could deliver. Fast, discreet, and deadly when needed, she was an adventurer's ship. Han had fallen in love with her moments after he first laid eyes on her. He eventually won her in a high stakes sabaac game with Lando and had showered her with all sorts of special upgrades and features over the years, such as the highly dangerous and highly illegal concussion missile launcher concealed in her bow. She was a beautiful ship not because of how she looked, but because of what she _could,_ and likely still _would,_ do.

Of course, not everyone can be so enlightened.

"You actually _fly_ in that thing?" Leia asked skeptically. "Perhaps you're braver than I gave you credit for, Captain Solo."

"She'll make .5 past the hyperdrive scale for ships of her class," Han said, stepping towards us. "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts. I've also made a lot of _special_ modifications to her myself."

Wiping his hands on a rag, Han offered a mocking bow to Leia as he continued to speak.

"But if you don't mind, your highness, we're in something of a rush. So, if you'll just get on board, we'll be on our way."

Leia stiffened for a moment at the sarcastic royal address, but seemed to realize a moment later that it was just Han mocking her rather than actually knowing her real identity. She shot him a glare before turning up her nose at him and boarding the ship with the composed and regal air about her that she had been born with.

Fortunately, it was easy to get loaded up since we didn't really have that many possessions to load in the first place. Other than the special box Kenobi had brought from his hut and the grey duffel with my special project inside, we each only had a pack between the three of us. The droids weren't carrying anything, but I didn't count them in this instance.

Stepping up the ramp, I got my first look at the interior of the _Millennium Falcon_. The rounded passageways were an earthy tan color and were fairly clean, although showed clear signs of having been lived in by the occasional scuff mark or scratch from a container brushing against the bulkhead. As we entered the lounge area and placed our stuff in the secure holding spots that were indicated by Chewbacca before he left for the cockpit.

We were just done settling ourselves in when we heard a faint and clearly electronically filtered voice shout from the hanger.

"Stop that ship! Blast them!"

The unmistakable sound of blasterfire erupted from the direction of the hanger.

"Just when I was starting to think we'd avoided any Imperial informants spotting us," I grumbled, rushing to secure Artoo beside Threepio.

"Well," Leia said, drawing her blaster and checking the charge. "We got further than I thought we would."

"Chewie, get us out of here!" Han shouted from the direction of the ramp.

Just as Leia took a step towards the ramp, likely to assist Han in fending the stormtroopers off, the man in question charged around the corner and headed to the cockpit. I heard what sounded like a heavy blaster's steady thrum-thrum-thrum from just beneath the ship when I recalled that Han had an auto-turret installed just beside the ramp. He must have triggered it as he came inside.

"I advise that we hold on to something," Kenobi stated from his own seat where he was fastening his seat belt.

Leia and I quickly followed his example as we felt the ship shudder beneath us before lurching up and forwards. I couldn't see it, but I could just imagine the Falcon blasting out of the docking bay at high speed and tearing through the sky at incredible speed. We sat like that as we felt the Falcon accelerate out of Tatooine's atmosphere and into open space. Incredibly, it only took minutes for the atmospheric shaking to subside and stop completely, signifying that we had reached space.

Holding on to the armrest of my own seat, I felt like letting out a whoop of joy but settled for a big celebratory grin. I was in space. Freaking _outer_ _space_. Living on Earth, I had never really considered being an astronaut but had always wanted to go to space. Even flying one of the little skyhoppers with my friends on Tatooine couldn't compare since they couldn't even leave the atmosphere. I had been eyeballing the occasional ship taking off and landing over the last three years and my desire to be aboard one of them had only grown stronger.

Undoing my seat restraints, I turned to my companions. "That exit likely didn't go unnoticed," I remarked. "Let's hope we somehow caught the Star Destroyer out of position and can make a clean getaway."

Standing up, I made my way out of the main lounge area and headed for the cockpit.

"Stay sharp, there's two of them coming in and it looks like they're angling to cut us off," Han was telling Chewie.

Leia and Kenobi came up behind me as Han turned his head to see us all standing there.

"You folks must be hotter than I thought," Han told us, activating a few switches on his overhead dash. "Got a pair of Star Destroyers moving in to intercept us and I'm detecting two more too far out to even make the attempt. Tatooine's lucky to see even one of those every few months and now they've got four hanging in orbit."

"Yeah, we weren't kidding when we said we were looking to avoid the Empire," I told him. "Can you avoid them long enough to reach hyperspace?"

"I can, so long as I'm allowed to focus," Han commented, waving a negligent hand as he focused on the controls in front of him.

Taking the hint, I stayed quiet and let the man work his magic.

One of the Star Destroyers opened fire as the _Falcon_ ducked and weaved in and out of its forward firing arc.

"And now the fun begins," Han noted without cheer as he piloted his ship through turbolaser fire.

"How long before you can make the jump to hyperspeed?" Kenobi asked.

"Just another minute or two before we get the coordinates from the navicomputer," Han replied, leaning back to check the status of the calculations for himself.

"And here I was thinking we had payed for a fast ship," Leia noted dryly, watching the status of the deflector shield. as the ship shuddered under the impacts of enemy fire.

"You did and that's what you got, missy," Han replied. "Maybe you feel like just making the jump without coordinates and hoping for the best, but I prefer the idea of getting where I'm going instead of slamming into a random star or black hole instead."

Leia seemed ready to retort when Chewie let out a yowl as he indicated something on his control panel that was flashing.

"What's happening?" Leia demanded.

"We're losing the deflector shield, but it doesn't matter since we're almost to the hyperspace limit," Han replied. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder and pointed back to the cockpit entrance. "All of you; out of the cockpit and go strap yourselves back in. I'll be making the jump in less than a minute."

We all scrambled out of the cockpit and went back to our seats where the droids and our stuff was sitting. We had just retaken our seats as we felt the ship give another lurch. But instead of another impact from the Star Destroyer firing on us, it was due to the ship making the transition into hyperspace.

We had made it.

**~Skywalker Resurgent~**

We'd been in hyperspace for almost three hours since making the jump.

Han and Chewbacca were still in the cockpit and Leia had stepped out to use the 'fresher while Kenobi and I talked with the droids in the Lounge. Threepio had explained about having been in service to Captain Antilles, who had been commanding Leia's ship when it was attacked. He described the attack and boarding by stormtroopers, bemoaning the terror and injustice of having to experience that. Then, how they had found the princess and made their getaway with her in the escape pod. She had entrusted the hard encrypted disk to Artoo and explained that they had to find Kenobi and ask for his assistance but if all else failed and she was captured, Artoo could seek Kenobi out himself with Threepio and carry on the mission. Sensible, once I realized that while Leia could be discovered and lose the disk upon arrest or while evading capture, Artoo would have to be destroyed or taken apart for someone to pry out the secure data disk

Artoo had informed us that he could have carried out the mission if asked, but he was lamenting that he'd have to be saddled with Threepio while doing so. His exact words were more like, 'this shiny, gold plated target would have likely gotten himself caught by the Jawas, resold, and have sat out the rest of the rebellion while annoying some poor farmer in over six million languages.'

I couldn't help but laugh at that. While I was chuckling over the likely truth to that statement and Threepio was providing Kenobi with a translation, we were interrupted by something I'd been dreading happening.

I felt a sudden rush of something that was almost like nausea hit me. I stopped laughing and placed a hand on the nearby bulkhead to steady myself. Beside me, Kenobi did the same, but if anything, looked to have taken it even harder than I did. I could only think of one possible cause.

_'Alderaan,'_ I thought, my gut clenching.

I stood up and excused Kenobi and myself for a private conversation as we stepped out of the lounge and into the passageway. I was fairly confident we wouldn't be overheard out here.

"You felt that too," Kenobi stated. He didn't seem to doubt that I also experienced the same thing.

"Like a wave of terror rippling through the Force," I told him. "Like...the last breath before death came and it carried a scream in it."

"Alderaan," Kenobi told me quietly. I didn't speak at first as I felt like he was correct, but I was unsure. Was that what it felt like when an inhabited planet was destroyed? Was the terror due to the people of Alderaan looking up into the sky and seeing the Death Star fire on them? I spent a moment thinking about it before replying to him.

"I don't get it," I said. "Leia's not a prisoner anymore. Why would Tarkin threaten Alderaan if not to get information?"

"To perform his 'demonstration' of the Death Star's capabilities?" Kenobi pondered aloud. "You said that was likely one of his motivations for not just going to Dantooine since it was too remote for his tastes."

"Maybe..." I allowed. "I suppose we'll know when we get there. Until then, I don't think we should say anything to Leia. We don't want to worry her unnecessarily and this will be bad enough to take in once we arrive, even if it is true."

"I agree," he nodded. "Even admitting the possibility wouldn't do her or us any good. We'll know once we arrive. Until then, perhaps you should continue with your exercises."

We reentered the lounge and cleared a small space for me to practice the last set of lightsaber drills Kenobi had walked me through. Chewie and Leia eventually joined us. Chewie asked if one of the droids would like to play a game of dejarik (holochess) on the board and Artoo immediately agreed. Leia made herself comfortable sitting on top of a crate beside the bulkhead and seemed content to watch me practice with my lightsaber as I went through the motions with Kenobi offering input occasionally.

"Well you can forget your problems with those Imperial slugs," Han said, cockily striding into the lounge area. "I told ya I'd outrun 'em."

"And we never doubted you for a second," I commented idly, stepping and moving into the next series of kata. Nobody else said anything as they focused on their own activities. Whether that was watching me, like Kenobi and Leia, or playing dejarik over in the corner with Chewie and the droids.

"Well, don't everyone rush to thank me all at once," he said dryly. "Anyway, we should be reaching Alderaan at about 0200 GST tomorrow."

I nodded and kept focused on my lightsaber katas, or practice drills. I couldn't be sure how well I was really doing but I at least felt like I was making good progress. At least, Kenobi said so whenever we did lightsaber drills and I don't feel like he was being patronizing when he said it. I didn't have a wealth of sudden lightsaber experience in my head alongside the rest of my knowledge, much to my consternation. This would have been a lot easier if whomever or whatever did this to me had placed the muscle memory and experience of a seasoned lightsaber wielder in my head as well. As it was, I just had to make do with what I had and build myself up the old fashioned way. Fortunately I knew that Luke Skywalker, like his father before him, was a natural genius at lightsaber combat.

Kenobi had begun to explain the various lightsaber forms to me and we had even stretched it into a conversation about what my own extended knowledge had granted me. We had a long conversation/lecture on the virtues and different styles of combat involved in wielding a lightsaber. It was almost like a more elaborate game of rock-paper-scissors with how each form was meant to combat specific threats, but elements of each could combine in various ways to produce more efficient forms and techniques.

Kenobi was originally a practitioner of Form IV - Ataru when he faced Darth Maul in combat on Naboo. After that encounter, he switched his primary style to focus on Form III - Soresu, which was a defensive focused style that was great for deflecting attacks from blaster wielding enemies, but not much else. It was however, a huge factor in what allowed Kenobi to survive attacks from large droid forces like the battle in the Geonosis Arena or at any number of times during the Clone Wars. Combining it with his extensive fighting experience from before and during the war, he took it to the next level and made it a phenomenal defensive style. It was this enhanced style that allowed him to go toe-to-toe with Dooku above Coruscant and to stave off the Dark Side enhanced attacks of Anakin Skywalker on Mustafar. It was this variation that Kenobi had sought to teach me once I had finished utilizing the basics of the simpler style, Form I - Shii-Cho, which Kenobi insisted all of the greatest lightsaber wielders must learn in order to form a foundation. It was this form that Jedi younglings first learned at the temple, typically while having their vision obscured so as to learn how to become more in tune with the Force and their lightsaber.

I was broken from my musings by a loud, laughing roar from Chewie. Apparently, Han had just informed him that Wookiees had a tendency to rip an opponent's arms out of their sockets when they lose and Threepio had informed Artoo that a better strategy may be to just let the Wookiee win.

"You're pretty good with that," Leia remarked as I spun in place to block an imaginary blaster shot.

"Thanks," I replied. "But I'll find out how good I really am the first time I meet an opponent I can use this against for real. Until then, all I can do is practice."

"Even then," Kenobi commented, watching my movements. "You should never stop practicing. While I've been practicing more of late, I've allowed my own saber skills to atrophy considerably and am certainly regretting it now. One must always be practicing learning, and growing in their own abilities."

"Call me old fashioned, but ancient religion and magic tricks are no match for a good blaster at your side," Han commented, leaning back in his chair.

"I'm more open about different weapons for different situations, myself," I replied, not breaking my focus. "Since I use the Force, this makes more sense for someone like me in situations that a blaster would work better for you."

"The Force, huh?" Han remarked, rolling his eyes and making no attempt to hide it.

"You're not going to tell us you don't believe in the Force, are you?" I asked him.

"Kid, I've flown from one end of this galaxy to the other," he started (I was trying not to be offended by that nickname he calls me by. I wasn't _that_ much younger than he was!). "I've seen a lot of strange things. But I've never seen anything that makes me believe there's some all powerful force that controls everything. There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny. It's all just simple tricks and nonsense."

"Han, I'm surprised at you," I said. I turned off my lightsaber and faced him. "You may not have ever seen a Jedi in action, but you've definitely been alive long enough to have heard the stories at least."

"And that's what they are, kid; stories," he replied. "I've certainly never seen anything that would make me think the Force is real."

"I don't expect you would have," I remarked. "Since the Purge, there hasn't been many examples of Force sensitive beings running around. I'd still think you'd be more of a student of history at least. All those ancient conflicts the old order was involved in and the effects they had on the galaxy, as well as the more recent Clone Wars. The Jedi may not have had good PR, but they definitely made the holonews more than once since they were all acting in officer and leadership positions on behalf of the Republic military."

"Alderaan's own history is filled with examples of Jedi performing great deeds on or for Alderaan," Leia remarked. "Not to mention recordings of them demonstrating their powers and being widely respected for their wisdom in mediation roles and respected as negotiators."

"Corellia had it's own Jedi Enclave, as I recall," Kenobi noted lightly.

"Alright, alright," Han said, throwing his hands out in an exasperated gesture of surrender. "So maybe they did exist. I've just never seen one and there aren't many if any around these days anyway."

"Fair enough," I said, laughing and letting the man off the hook. "But as the saying goes; seeing is believing."

I walked over to our packs that were sitting on the table beside where Chewie and Artoo were playing their game. Reaching in to my pack, I pulled out an old spacer's helmet with a blast shield on it. The shield would block out all outside light and effectively blind the wearer since it was assumed such protection might be needed in special environments such as where solar activity might flare up or an explosive detonation of some kind may otherwise blind the wearer.

Next, I took out a small case and popped the lid open. Inside were three training remotes sitting lined up in a protective foam insulation. Kenobi had drilled me with these many times until I could match their attacks blow-for-blow and not get hit. Today, all three would serve well for a demonstration. I hit the switch on each one and fixed the settings how I wanted them for this exercise. All three drones floated into the air, their rudimentary programming waiting for the activation of a weapon to begin the exercise.

I donned the helmet, activated my lightsaber and stood in a ready position. The drones let out small 'woosh' noises as the moved through the air around me. Reaching out with the Force, I could sense the area around me as I tapped into it. In many ways, this was superior to using my eyes. I could perceive the area around me more in depth than I ever had before with just my eyes. sing the Force like this was like switching to a higher video quality after living your whole life making do with lower quality streaming. Suddenly, I was aware of the whole lounge area and everyone in it. I stopped my senses from extending past the Falcon's hull. I didn't want to extend my focus too far for this, just enough.

All I had to do was tune my instincts into the Force...exhale slowly...keep a firm, but loose grip...and _there!_

I rotated the lightsaber almost forty-five degrees in a clockwise motion to deflect the first bolt. My lightsaber made a sound as the shot deflected right back to its point of origin. I could tell without even looking that it struck the training remote, triggering its 'defeated' mode as it deactivated and dropped to the deck.

The next two shots came simultaneously. Taking one step back and to my right, I made a twisting sweep with my blade where I was standing just a moment ago. Both bolts struck the blade and reflected back at their senders. Both remotes dropped to the deck a moment later as I deactivated my lightsaber and removed the helmet.

Chewie let out an appreciative howl and actually clapped in appreciation at the display. Leia and Threepio followed his example with polite claps of their own while Artoo congratulated me with a high pitched whistle. Han and Kenobi were the only ones not clapping, but Kenobi's smile was appreciation enough, although I don't think he appreciated me showing off. He'd reminded me once or twice not to allow myself to get carried away and this likely went against his own ingrained notions of Jedi humility.

"It might've just been luck," Han grumbled.

"I'd call being _that_ lucky a power all on it's own," Leia commented smugly, clearly enjoying Han's sour look.

"Your footwork could still do with some improvement," Kenobi stated. "But you've made excellent progress since I've begun teaching you Form III. We'll discuss some of the more advanced forms later."

"Hey, if I'm just that lucky, I should hit the casinos sometime," I told Han.

"Funny, kid. Kindly avoid slicing up my furniture or any delicate equipment while you're on board," Han asked, getting up from his chair. He strolled into the small kitchen area and pulled some ration packs out of one of the cabinets and left them on the counter, only taking a single ration bar for himself.

"We'll be careful," I assured him, returning to my training.

**~Skywalker Resurgent~**

It was a day and a half journey to Alderaan. All of us had crowded the back of the cockpit to get our first look at the planet as we came out of hyperspace. Han pulled the lever in the center console back and the warped tunnel of hyperspace shifted and collapsed into the star dotted void of normal space.

What we came upon was a scene of utter destruction.

**AN: I was trying to get Han off the hook for some of his lines in Episode IV that didn't stick well once the franchise grew outside of the first three films. He was probably born before the Clone Wars and would be about 30, give or take during the first film. We'll make him about 28 or so for this fic, but since age isn't too much of a concern, make him as young or as old as you like in your own heads. I don't think it's really going to come up much, if ever.**

**Also, to reiterate a point many people have brought up previously; there were only about 10,000 active Jedi in the order before the Clone Wars broke out. That may seem like a lot, but the Jedi didn't interact on the center stage of galactic affairs. They'd get credit for helping out on behalf of the Republic, but most people just viewed them as glorified agents of the government. They didn't have a PR department to get the word out, so a lot of their actions would go unreported unless it came up as part of the regular news cycle for a negotiation or the officer in charge of a certain battle group during the war. We can assume Palpatine's guys did a good job discrediting and suppressing information on the Jedi once there weren't any around to defend themselves anymore.**

**I will admit that it is kind of weird to consider that Han is so ignorant since Jedi and Sith have been playing some role in galactic conflicts for thousands of years. It's gotta be hard to completely hide stuff like that. Out of universe, we can just chalk it up to one more thing George Lucas hadn't thought up yet. In universe, we can just assume Han doesn't really buy into the stories since he's a pretty practical guy and history doesn't seem to be given much thought by most people in the Star Wars galaxy. Plus, he didn't really get much of a formal education in any version of canon, so maybe he's just ignorant.**

**Star Wars: Fallen Order is out! I picked up my copy the other day and had a blast! Haven't had this much fun since Force Unleashed 2 came out! Lots of action mixed with Tomb Raider-style puzzles. **

**I've gotten a couple more requests for certain characters and events to be mentioned. Just to reiterate; this will be mostly Legends stories with only some of the new stuff thrown in here. I'm not doing EVERY Legends story since frankly, as much as I love it, I can admit that the timeline is something of a mess since so many events are smashed in between others. I promise to give serious thought on how to include your guys' requests since some of them are pretty reasonable and I've gotten my own ideas on how to make them happen. **

**Next Time: A Fateful Encounter & A Daring Escape!**

**As always, I love to read your reviews! Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan written story. Star Wars or any of the associated properties mentioned in this story are all owned by Disney and their respective companies, authors and/or corporations. This is purely a work of fiction written for pleasure and nonprofit. Please support the official release.**

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**Skywalker Resurgent Ch.5: "****There's No Moon..."**

A field of rock and flaming debris greeted us as we came out of hyperspace. Shockingly, rather than Alderaan _being_ the debris, Alderaan was _surrounded_ by the debris. The planet was still there, but it had been completely devastated by impacts, presumably from the debris field. My brain tried to make sense of the sight for several moments. No one in the cockpit spoke as we all took in the sight and I'd be surprised if we all weren't struggling to make sense of what we were seeing. After those few moments of consideration, my mind reached the only logical conclusion as I took notice of what was missing from this image.

The Death Star had blown up Alderaan's moon.

Massive chunks of the former moon circled the planet in what was once the moon's standard orbit. As we watched, great swathes of flame that stretched across the landmasses of the planet could be seen from even this far out as chunks of the moon had already impacted the surface with cataclysmic force. Dark clouds flowed through the planet's now turbulent atmosphere as massive amounts of dust and debris were thrown up into the air in quantities that would surly block out light from the local star. I could imagine the seas churning as impacts caused tsunamis to wipe out entire coastlines, settlements kilometers inland and would throw the tides and currants into behaviors that would make even the idea of rebuilding many of them utterly impossible.

That fear and horror Kenobi and I had felt in transit...it wasn't the immediate destruction of Alderaan, it was the planet being _devastated_. Did Alderaan's moon have a settlement on it? What was Tarkin, that madman, thinking by blowing up the moon? Is this the consequence of not being able to find Leia, but still having her ship and crew to indicate her guilt? A punishment he's decided to hand out against the people of Alderaan based on only the circumstantial evidence he had against Leia?

_"No..."_ came a horrified whisper beside me.

I turned to see Leia staring at her home engulfed by an apocalypse. Tears of rage, horror, and sorrow were forming at the corners of her eyes as she beheld the destruction of the world she called her home. Her emotions were such a pit of despair and anger, I quickly found myself having to block her out of my senses as she unknowingly put out such energies that it felt like I might drown in them by simply being in such proximity to them.

"It's...it's gone," Han said, aghast and baffled by what he was seeing. "What in the hells could have happened here? Some...some kind of disaster on the moon that blew it apart?"

"No," Kenobi refuted before I could. "It was destroyed. By the Empire."

"It would have taken at least a hundred capital ships bombarding the moon for over a standard day to destroy it like this," Han denied. "Why even keep it up that long? What would be the point when they could just bombard targets on the planet instead? It makes no sense! Why would the Empire punish Alderaan like that?"

"...We have to get down there," Leia insisted quietly, then repeated herself more loudly. "We have to get down there! I have no idea if my father is still alive, but we have to find out!"

"Approach may be difficult," Kenobi remarked, pointing at the planet. Looking towards the planet and the scanners, we could see there were three Star Destroyers positioned around the planet.

"Now what are they doing there?" I wondered aloud. A followup attack? They looked to be too close if the Death Star was meant to be used against the planet for a second strike.

"They're blockading the planet," Han answered grimly a moment later.

"What?" I asked, turning to him. "What makes you say that?"

"Positioning," Han explained, pointing to the three ships. "They're just outside the debris and close enough to intercept ships coming or going. I recognize the formation and they're not deploying any ships to provide relief to the planet. It has to be a blockade. The Imperial Navy does the same to planets they make examples of. They're there to ensure nobody arrives to assist and nobody leaves while the lesson is being delivered."

I didn't ask how Han could know such a thing, knowing that he must've seen his fair share of brutality delivered by the Empire during his own time as an Imperial officer.

"But why would they do this?" Han asked aloud.

Chewie yowled something and pointed at the scanner before any of us could answer.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to peer forward at the display.

"Something approaching us," Han answered shortly as he fiddled with the controls and stared in confusion at the display. "Massive. I don't...Chewie, check the status of the scanners. This doesn't look right."

"What is it?" I repeated.

"Some kind of rogue moon or small planet," Han answered, turning the ship away from Alderaan. "It's right near the hyperspace limit, but not on the navigational charts. Damned thing is nearly on top of us."

The _Falcon_ stopped turning as we saw the object come into view. I felt the knot reform into my gut as I immediately recognized the object. Kenobi must've recognized it by my descriptions, because his next words were an explanation to the rest of our companions.

"That's no moon," Kenobi whispered softly. "It's a space station."

"That's absurd," Han protested. "It's too big to be a space station..."

Han's voice trailed off as the logic of his words was rejected by what his eyes were telling him. Even from this distance, we could see that the shape was all wrong for it to be a natural planetary body. The surface was too uniform in shape and color. We could also see that the angle of the one visible crater was too smooth to be anything other than artificial.

What was worse was that we were already close enough that all of this detail was visible to the naked eye. We had dropped out of hyperspace right in the path of the Death Star as it made its transition through the system.

I wasn't going to say it aloud, but I had a very bad feeling about this.

"Turn the ship around," Kenobi ordered quietly as he stared at the Death Star, unblinking.

"Yeah," Han agreed without protest. "I think you're right about that. Chewie, start the calculations for our exit, prepare to draw auxiliary power for the engines."

Chewie growled an agreement. But before either of them could do anything, the _Falcon _rocked suddenly around us.

"What's happened?" Leia exclaimed, grabbing the edge of Chewie's seat to keep herself steady.

"We're caught in a tractor beam, it's pulling us in!" Han exclaimed as he began messing with the controls just above his head. "It's no good! They've got us!"

Dread settled into the compartment after Han's words. The Death Star drew us in closer and more details became visible as the fear became almost palpable in the cockpit. I think Han might've been about to suggest struggling anyway, but Kenobi interrupted him by placing a hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn and look at him.

"You can't win," Kenobi informed him. "But there are alternatives to fighting."

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

It wasn't as tight a fit as one might have imagined between four humans, two droids and a wookiee, but it wasn't exactly comfortable. The compartments weren't meant to hold people in them, but Han had quickly explained that he had installed them to avoid detection by Imperial customs checkpoints and the occasional inspection crew that decided to board him. As such, they had some rudimentary protection and insulation from most portable scanners. Although thankfully, not enough insulation that we were totally oblivious to what was going on just above us.

Of course, that wasn't going to do much to help us avoid detection from Vader. Thankfully, Kenobi and I had both worked on suppressing our presence in the Force long before we came here. It wasn't a perfect defense; we had to continuously focus to keep it active and it was less likely to work if another Force sensitive individual was actively looking for us. Also, I didn't think it'd completely fool Vader but I assumed it was sufficient as - like in the original encounter - the man hadn't come aboard himself to start tearing apart bulkheads in search of us.

After we heard the last of the stormtroopers heading down the ramp, we finally decided to try our luck and come out. The deck plate came up and slid silently to the side as the one next to it followed a moment later. After uncovering the hidden compartments beneath, Han first emerged from one with his blaster out and ready to fire, just in case. A moment later, I came out and held up my own blaster as I looked around.

"Damn good that you had these compartments," I noted.

"I use these compartments for smuggling," Han grumbled. "Never thought I'd be using them to smuggle myself."

"We're not out of this yet," Leia said. "We need to plan how we're going to get out of here. With the tractor beam active and this thing looking to grab ships coming in to the system, we'll never get far enough to reach hyperspace before they snatch us again."

"They'll also be bringing in a scanning crew and equipment next," Han noted glumly. "These compartments may hide stuff from the lower-tech stuff they use on less developed Imperial worlds, but I'll bet a place like this would only have the top of the line stuff. I'm not looking forward to seeing how these compartments hold up to hiding from that level of scrutiny."

"As it so happens," I said, grinning. "I have an amazing plan."

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

Not even twenty minutes later, we ambushed the two techs that came aboard with scanning equipment. As per Imperial procedure, the hanger was quarantined off after the primary search has been completed and the ship was determined not to be an immediate threat to the station or personnel. After incapacitating the two technicians - a simple matter for two Jedi, a wookiee, a smuggler, and a rebel princess - Han was able to lure the two stormtroopers left standing guard onto the ship with ridiculous ease.

While Kenobi elected to stick with his robes and Chewie and the droids weren't wearing disguises for obvious reasons, Han and I had snagged the stormtrooper armor for ourselves. Leia went with one of the technician uniforms, hiding most of her distinctive hair inside the cap that came with it. When she inquired why she couldn't get one of the sets of armor, I thought she wanted to hit me when I answered her with;

"Don't you think you're a little short to be a stormtrooper?"

Joking aside, I pointed out that the armor wouldn't completely hide the fact that she was a woman to anyone who got a decent look at her. While the Empire had a number of female officers, technicians, and service personnel, there weren't any female stormtroopers. Blame it on politics, blame it on the fact that Palpatine or at least the dudes who he worked with were misogynists, blame it on whatever, but the Empire didn't allow women to serve in the Stormtrooper Corps. Leia grumbled in agreement that a female technician was less likely to draw attention than the only female stormtrooper in the galaxy.

After that, I was almost appalled with how easy it was to walk up to the hanger control room and take the two techs standing by in there by surprise. Han had waved at the control room and mined a comms malfunction towards the window overlooking the hanger. It provided a distraction while the rest of us walked up the single set of stairs that led to the control room. We made quick work of the group, having taken all of them by complete surprise. Chewie had even killed the one that had opened the door for us by making a savage swipe at his unprotected skull as the man stood there shocked by our appearance.

"'Empire's best and brightest,' my ass," I grumbled, removing the comm and access equipment from the technician and moving his body out of the way of the control consoles.

Thankfully, none of these guys were clones, or I imagine it would've been more of a struggle to take them down, advanced age or not. As much as I supported the idea of the Empire recruiting its own military instead of growing them, there was a very clear drop off in quality of the average soldier which had led to the 'quantity is a quality all on its own' approach by the Empire. I had a few theories of my own as to why this was so easy, both in the original film and now, but seeing it for myself had me shaking my head.

"Training certainly hasn't improved over the years, by my own experience anyway," Han agreed, setting his blaster on the console and taking a seat in the now vacant chair with a sigh. "Good work so far though, kid. You've gotten us this far, at least."

"And we'll get further still so long as we keep being careful," I said, glad to have that stupid helmet off. How does anyone expect to actually fight in one of those?

"Next, we'll need access to tractor beam systems," Leia remarked.

Artoo beeped near the terminal and Threepio turned to translate for us. "We've found the main computer access point."

"Plug in. That should give us all the necessary access to the station network," Kenobi ordered.

Artoo expended a manipulator device from his chassis and plugged it into the small socket besides the terminal. There was a pause of several seconds as Artoo gained access, but he then beeped several times in success.

"He says he's found the main controls to the power relay for the tractor beams in this sector of the station," Threepio translated helpfully. "He'll attempt to display the precise location on the main monitor."

We all watched as the main display in the control room ceased displaying sensor readings and status reports of hanger bay systems and switched to schematics of the Death Star itself. Even for a capable droid like Artoo, it took a few seconds to draw a path and narrow it down enough to be considered easily legible by organic minds. The station was just that damn big and complicated.

"The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations in this quadrant of the station," Threepio continued translating Artoo. "A power loss at one of these main junctions will cause a malfunction in the controls and allow the ship enough time to leave."

As he finished, we watched as a specific section of the station was highlighted with a path indicating the best route Artoo was able to calculate to reach it. Based on the scaling of the station, the path would take one nearly three hundred meters deeper into the station. That was three hundred meters through corridors, maintenance passages, and past any number of station personnel that would be transitioning the same passageways.

"I don't think this will be a team effort," Kenobi said, turning to the rest of us. "I must do this part alone."

"Whatever you say," Han agreed, retaking his seat at the console and making himself comfortable. "This trip has been more than what I'd bargained for already. I'll just wait here."

Leia shot Han a dirty look as she asked, "Will you be able to make it fine on your own, general?"

"Perfectly fine," Kenobi assured her with a smile. "Give me approximately one standard hour to make it there and back and we'll blast out of here. Captain Solo, will you be able to have the _Millennium Falcon_ ready at about that time?"

"Hey, the _Falcon_ could blast her way out of here in a moment's notice," Han said, with Chewie giving a vigorous nod and a grunt of agreement. "Just make sure that relay is switched off before we try it. Otherwise, it'll be one short trip."

"Indeed it would be," Kenobi agreed. "So I'd best make sure I do it right."

Kenobi stepped towards the hatch leading out of the control room, only to have me standing in his way, a mutinous expression on my face.

"I'll be better moving on my own," Kenobi waved me off. "Besides; nobody ever notices an old man out for a stroll."

"I'm serious," I said to him. I was quiet so as not broadcast what I was sure to be an argument to the others. "You shouldn't go alone. I could come with you and we could handle this faster by working together."

"You'll be needed here to defend the others, Luke," Kenobi gently rebuked me and while also being quiet. "The two of us moving together would just make it harder to remain undetected and one of us should stay here to defend the others and ensure their escape. Those plans are simply too valuable for us to take any unnecessary risks. I can handle this just fine on my own."

"I disagree," I insisted. "We've talked about this. It's not necessary. You didn't take me seriously when I told you years ago that this is where you might die and you're being far too casual with the likelihood of it happening now that we're here."

"Because if this is where my time ends, then so be it," he replied. "I made peace with my own death a long time ago. You are the future Luke, not me."

"No," I denied. "No, you don't get to make that kind of call on your own. I say differently. Cut the 'will of the Force' act and start thinking about yourself as more than just a Jedi or, or some pawn to be sacrificed!"

"If I don't make it back," Kenobi told me gently. "Then you're well equipped to handle things without me. I've trained you well and you have a natural talent for the Jedi arts unlike anyone I've ever seen. You'll do just fine without me, if it comes to that."

"That's not your call to make," I argued, starting to get emotional. Marshaling my feelings, I grew stern as I jabbed my finger at his chest. "You will do everything in your power to avoid confronting Vader, do you hear me? You will avoid a confrontation with him and if he somehow manages to sense you, you will delay him and escape back to the hanger with us where we will all escape."

Smiling at my obvious concern for him, Kenobi placed a hand on my shoulder.

"The Force will be with you," he said. "Always."

And like that, he was out the hatch and making his way down the corridor and deeper into the station.

Ignoring the others for the moment, I sat down in the chair by a console, leaned back into it, and pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.

_'Damn him,'_ I thought.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_Years Ago..._

_We were taking a break from my latest round of exercises. Kenobi wanted me to use the Force to enhance my own strength and stamina and to draw upon it for relief when I had overexerted myself. Accustomed to multitasking my training since out times together were typically shorter than I'd have liked, I had continued speaking and had used the lesson to start talking about how we were going to survive an encounter with Vader._

_"The man's a pure juggernaut in personal combat," I explained, picking up my canteen from the shady spot beside the dwelling I had left it at. "Apart from his own formidable skills as a duelist before Mustafar, now he's arguably improved his combat style with his cybernetically enhanced strength while sacrificing the mobility he once enjoyed. While no longer nearly as flexible or maneuverable in a fight, you could drop a TIE fighter or an AT-ST on him and he'd shrug it off, even without the Force."_

_"A rather specific example," Kenobi said dryly. _

_"Which is why you need to start thinking and practicing techniques to avoid direct strikes. I can't really simulate his striking power with just my arms, but I'm thinking we can switch up and pretend so that you can get some practice in too," I said, taking a gulp of water as I cooled off._

_"I'm sure I'll be up to the task," Kenobi assured me. "Your own lessons are more important."_

_That was the answer I had actually expected from him, but it was also the one I hadn't wanted to hear. Resealing my canteen and putting it back down, I turned and faced Kenobi. _

_"I think we should focus more on this," I argued. "What's your deal with this?"_

_"Pardon?" he asked._

_"I mean, why aren't you taking this more seriously?" I asked directly. "You've been pretty aloof about the fact that I informed you that you die at Vader's hands while trying to ensure our escape. This is the third time I've brought it up and you have once again brushed it off when I've tried to brainstorm with you about a plan. Why is that?"_

_"Specifically, you told me that I become one with the Force," he corrected me. "That's a very different thing than mere death."_

_"Maybe to you," I argued. "But I thought the point was to survive and live to fight another day. As much as I'm sure you love the idea of being a ghost and creeping the hell out of me by popping though a wall one day, I'd much rather prefer you be around physically to tell me to sharpen my stance or how to breathe or whatever else you can criticize me with."_

_"You know from your visions that death isn't the worst fate to befall a Jedi, Luke," Kenobi told me. "You've provided some form of confirmation that I will still be able to provide you with necessary guidance from beyond the veil of death. That admittedly, was my greatest concern with passing on too soon. But you already have much of the knowledge you'll need to advance your own training without me, if necessary."_

_"Hell, Kenobi," I said exasperated, throwing my arms out. "What do you think I'm even doing here? I came to you for guidance because you're the best there is and you're just writing yourself off! What about, y'know, actual practice? What about all that experience you have that the Alliance could really use?"_

_"We all die sometime, Luke," he told me. "If my death is for a purpose and helps set Anakin even partially back down the path to the Light Side, then it is a life well spent."_

_That response alarmed me, but not as much as I realized why he would say something like that._

_"You think your death may be necessary," I uttered in realization. _

_"Perhaps it is," he defended. "You've been adamant about your own role in pulling him back from darkness. I'm not convinced that I don't have the potential to play a role, myself."_

_"What the hell, Kenobi?" I asked. "Does your own life mean so little to you that you throw it away so casually? Do you think I warned you so that you could repeat the incident and die anyway?"_

_"It's not that I will seek death," Kenobi assured me. "But I am content in the knowledge that if it should prove necessary, all will be well. I have already done right by you, the future of the Jedi and of the galaxy. Perhaps when you're older, you will understand."_

_"I think I understand well enough," I argued. "Tell me; is this a Jedi's willingness to die for a cause talking right now, or is it coming from Obi-Wan Kenobi the person? We've talked about some of my ideas for the future of the Jedi Order, but were you never including yourself in that future? Because I certainly was and I'm pissed off now that I consider that maybe you weren't!"_

_"A Jedi's life is also often one of sacrifice," Kenobi reminded me reproachfully. "As is controlling one's emotions. Our path has always been of understanding and in serving the will of the Force. Those are concepts you should already be acquainted with, Luke."_

_"Acquainted, nothing!" I fired back. I jabbed a finger in the older man's face. "Following special insights, Force visions, or even vague prophecies is one thing. But I'm telling you about a specific incident where your life could be in serious danger and you're not taking it seriously!"_

_"Control your emotions, Luke," he returned sharply, pushing down my finger as he answered. "I am asking that you trust me and respect my own wisdom and experience on this matter. I have thought long and hard about what you've told me and have made my peace with it. The death you have described is one that will be in service to a higher purpose and I am content with that, as you should be."_

_I stared at Kenobi in anger and struggled with the rising anger and sadness within me. As childish as it seemed, I had grown attached to the old man and didn't want him to die, let alone by throwing his own life away. He had started out as an icon in my mind, but had quickly become what I considered a friend and confidant. His willingness to allow himself to die felt like a betrayal to me._

_"Now, I think it'd be best if you went home for the day," Kenobi informed me. "We'll continue your lessons another time."_

_That day, I went home still angry and frustrated with the old man. The drive back hadn't helped me cam down one bit as I kept going over the conversation in my head. One of the gonk droids was obstructing my path to my workshop, so I kicked the damn thing over to get it out of my way. While overall amused by my admittedly childish tantrum, Owen and Beru asked me what had happened. I told them that I was just upset by a fight I got into with a friend and not to worry about it. They didn't press for details, which I was grateful for, but instead let me vent in peace. Still, I meditated pretty hard that night in order to vent my frustrations. Once I had calmed down and started thinking straight again, I was still upset by my mentor's lack of regard for his own life._

_I don't know what I expected from him, but this certainly wasn't it! I hadn't realized how hung up on the notion of self-sacrifice he might be and it frustrated me that he would resign himself to death like that. I tried to see the things from his perspective, but that didn't help me as much as I'd have liked. He said that he'd not throw his life away, but it still sounded to me like he was all too willing to do so. _

_I ended up broaching the subject two more times since that day. Each time, I had the distinct impression that I was communicating my point to a wall. Kenobi made all the right sounds and said all the right things to try and appease me on this, but I still sensed something was off during those conversations. It didn't take long for me to figure out that it was because he wasn't really listening to me._

_Well if he wasn't going to take this seriously, I'd just have to work on my own plan without him._

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_The Present..._

We passed the time in a tense quiet as we waited for the agreed upon time to elapse before moving back to the hanger. Artoo perused through the available station reports for anything of use, but most of it was station readiness and after action reports from the firing of the super laser. Leia grilled Artoo for more information about Alderaan with Threepio translating for her, but there was little available information for him to report on. We did get confirmation that the three Star Destroyers were originally the Death Star's escorts and had been detached on the orders of Grand Moff Tarkin to blockade the planet and only to act upon ships attempting to leave the system or land from elsewhere.

Leia had seethed at the news and we had all been appalled at the seeming lack of information on what was going on groundside on Alderaan. Apparently, the information was either classified or nobody on the Death Star deemed it of any more importance that a whole planet was burning nearby and they weren't supposed to interfere or allow for any help to come for them.

I had also taken what Han and Leia both called an unnecessary and risky decision. I had put my stolen helmet back on and had walked back into the hanger to the Falcon to retrieve the special bag I had brought with us. I hadn't taken it with us when we had taken the control room since I was worried about arousing suspicion, but I now considered it a worthy risk since it seemed there was a scarcity of Imperials around.

I had taken a confident walk back down the ramp with the bag in one hand and acting like it was entirely normal for a lone stormtrooper to be carrying items off of an impounded ship. Nobody stopped me, although I had felt my heart quicken at the tension as I spotted a small group of stormtroopers walking the opposite way as me when I had exited the hanger again. I had set down the pack with a sigh of relief once I had gotten back to the control room. Han and Leia had asked what the hell was so important that I had to take such a risk, but I had told them it was an insurance policy in case we needed it in order to make our getaway. Han had asked me if I was hiding a bomb in there, but I had quickly assured him that I wasn't. At least, not like he was probably thinking.

Upon my return, I also asked Artoo if there was any information on the ambassadorial ship seized by Vader and the status of its crew. There was only a short report made in the logs by one of Vader's officers that the ship had been found, but that all aboard had been killed in an attack. I asked Artoo if any of the prisoner logs could corroborate this and he confirmed that there wasn't anyone matching his own knowledge of the ship's crew being held. Leia quietly thanked me for considering the crew of her lost ship, clearly ashamed at not having even considered them in her rush for information about Alderaan. I assured her it was completely understandable and told her not to worry about it.

Han smartly decided to keep his mouth shut during this exchange. Even he sensed that a smartass comment wouldn't help in this situation.

On the inside, I was somewhat relieved that we wouldn't have to run off and attempt to rescue any of the crew. On the other hand, that was probably over a hundred rebels lost to either the boarding action or execution after surrender. I wasn't completely blind to the tragic loss that was for Leia and the Alliance.

_'Especially,'_ I thought morbidly. _'Since there might be a sudden shortage of Alderaanians in the galaxy for her to talk to or be a princess to now.'_

As we neared the hour mark Kenobi had given for himself, we ran into a problem. A squad of stormtroopers had come up the hanger elevator and had taken up position near the hanger entrance and the ship's ramp. We'd need to take them out before we could regain access to the _Falcon_.

"I can rush them with my lightsaber and take them out that way," I offered. "But it'll probably be loud. There's no guarantee one of them won't be able to send out a distress signal before we take them down."

"We might have to risk it," Han said, frowning. "There's always the chance more could show up or be passing through the hanger on their way to somewhere else. Luke, can you...?"

Han trailed off and didn't finish whatever question he was going to ask. The five stormtroopers we were watching had all hustled over to the other side of the hanger bay and out of sight.

"Where are they going?" Leia asked aloud.

"Doesn't matter," Han said. "Now's our chance. Let's move!"

We all started moving across the hanger towards the _Falcon's_ still open ramp. As we crossed, I turned my head to the side and saw exactly what I had feared seeing.

Darth Vader.

Anakin Skywalker.

My father.

Seeing him on a screen or someone cosplaying as him did no justice to how absolutely terrifying this man looked to me. For starters, he was _big_. At least seven feet tall and broad as a door. He looked like he could tank a charging grizzly bear, he was so solid looking. A heavy black bodysuit covered his body completely with steel colored stripes denoting the presence of a heavy chest piece and shoulder pads that protected his upper body. His helmet was eerily skull-like in how it's bulbous eyes protruded from above the nose/mouth vent. The small control box on his chest stood out but even that didn't appear to me as a weak point due to the last fact; I could sense his presence in the Force by looking at him.

Now that I was was looking right at him, I wasn't sure how I had missed it before. His presence in the Force was like a swirling storm, full of thunder and lightning. I had sensed anger and I had sensed rage from people who were ready to kill, but this was on a whole other level. It was the Dark Side manifested in a way that I had never seen before and was now acting upon the physical universe in front of me. Even worse was what was clearly the focus of this storm.

Kenobi was standing with his lightsaber drawn and in a basic ready stance. Across from him, Vader mirrored him with a similar stance, but exuded strength and power while Kenobi was clearly on the ropes. His stance wasn't as firm and he had clearly been holding Vader off for a while now, but was nearing the end of his own strength. Years of isolation on Tatooine had clearly not done the man's fighting skills any favors. Even when teaching me, I had suspected that Kenobi wasn't anywhere near the level he was at when he first defeated Anakin on Mustafar. Now, he was clearly feeling each and every year of inactivity as my father's cybernetically enhanced limbs rained down blows on the aged man.

"Damn it all, Kenobi," I swore under my breath. "The one thing I told you not to do, you go and do it."

But like hell was I going to let it end like this for the old man.

Turning to Han, Chewie, and Leia, I spared only a moment to ask their help with what I was planing. "When I give the word, shoot out the hanger door control panel."

Not waiting for them to respond or give them a chance to ask questions, I turned towards the battle and dashed forward. The stormtroopers, who had been standing and staring with apparent uncertainty at the confrontation, never saw me coming.

At least, right up until the moment the snap-hiss of my lightsaber alerted them and I was already slashing through the first trooper.

The others brought their blasters around and stumbled back to try and get some distance from me, but it was useless as I worked my way down the line of soldiers with terrifying ease. I felt the rush of combat run through me as I deflected a few panicked shots from the troopers. The next trooper was cut down by a cut across his torso that went right through his armor. The two after him died when I deflected some of the blasterfire back at them and sent them smoking to the deck.

I cut through the last trooper as he sent more panicked and inaccurate shots my way, which I deflected down and into the deck. I rushed forward and neatly bisected him with my lightsaber as I rushed past him, my true objective now behind him.

Both Vader and Kenobi turned as they saw me dispatch the stormtroopers with ease. Vader's expression was obviously unreadable, but Kenobi's was one of pure dread and horror. Did he think this was a suicidal charge?

"Luke, no!"

I didn't respond as I deactivated my lightsaber and finally unslung the small pack I had been carrying for just this scenario. It was nice to know that I wasn't hauling the damn thing everywhere just to never use it. Grasping the strap with one hand, I pulled a medium-sized cylinder out of the bag with a handle crudely welded onto its outer casing. Discarding the concealing bag and grasping the handle, I blasted the cylinder forward with a burst of Force Push strong enough to send it flying, but not to hard as to burst the container. The canister went flying across the space between me and the two combatants.

"Dodge this, ya durasteel plated edge lord!" I shouted, my heart pounding as the adrenaline flowed.

With no sign of hesitation or surprise, Vader lifted his hand and halted the bag at the point about halfway between us.

"Pitiful," he intoned. His voice was just as terrifying as the films made it out to be. A deep baritone that seemed to resonate and carry through to the ears of everyone around.

"Distraction," I clarified, smirking.

Using the other hand that I didn't use to assist my throw, I raised both up towards the pack. I didn't even try to wrest it from the Sith Lord's powerful grip. Instead, I added to it with my own and crushed the container by applying tremendous force to the canister's middle section.

My ears rang from the ensuing explosion as the pressurized container burst and sent its contents outwards and in every direction.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

One of the first problems I had to tackle early on was what to do if I fought Vader.

All of my ideas tended to end either with 'DO NOT' or to play to our familial connection and hope he won't whoop my ass long enough for me to manage an escape, since I'll be relying on his desire to keep me alive under those circumstances. But that still left the problem of how to escape, since I was sure that he'd be doing his best to capture me at that point and maybe just outright kill me if he didn't believe me or I didn't manage to convince him fast enough.

I didn't plan on keeping him in the dark for too long about being his son, but I was also wary of the risk and how that might change events to reveal it now. No matter what, he Death Star needed to be destroyed and I was hesitant to alter or overly influence the events that I was certain would lead to that outcome. Never mind what the Emperor would use it for, that psychopath Tarkin would doubtlessly use it for the worst reasons in the worst places. I distinctly recalled a piece of source material where Tarkin's ambition was to take the Death Star back to Coruscant and blow up the planet, the Emperor, and every important Imperial official, not to mention the countless civilians living on the planet. He practically fetishized having the Death Star be the 'true' center for galactic power and order. Even discounting that particular source, the man was a cold and calculating monster. In order to achieve my idea of a more stable and peaceful galaxy, he'd have to go.

But the question remained; how to defeat Vader if/when we encounter him? I thought up all of the anti-Jedi weaponry used by Mandalorians, the great fights of Jango and Boba Fett, the stories from Atton Rand in how he went about killing Jedi, and I even recalled a short lecture given by HK-47 about how to plan for and assassinate Jedi. Overall, nothing stuck out as particularly effective in my circumstances. The most effective method of killing Vader I could come up with involved orbital bombardment and not only was that unavailable to me inside the Death Star, I wasn't actually trying to kill him. Even scaling it down didn't seem to help since small arms were ineffective and anything larger would be impossible to carry.

I'd considered maybe acquiring some Mandalorian weaponry and tech since much of it was also effective in combating Force users, but that was a bust too. You can't just buy stuff like that on Tatooine and the only Mandalorian I knew who hung around there sometimes was Boba Fett, and I didn't dare ask him for access to his stuff. I prefer my body to with its present number of holes, thank you. Even in the best case scenario, there's no way I could afford whatever price he set just for looking at something like his flamethrower.

It had been quite a puzzle. Where had all those other Rebel soldiers and Jedi failed that I could triumph? My mind kept coming back to the response, _'fighting him at all was a mistake,'_ but that didn't help so I just got more and more frustrated. Eventually, I realized that was probably the answer all along; don't fight him at all.

Switching tracks, I instead started trying to think of ways to disable his suit. What little I knew didn't seem to help at first. I'd seen him get affected by Force Lightning on several occasions, but was that the electricity that disabled him or the harmful Dark Side energies in the lightning? I'd started drawing up plans for a gun that fired electricity, but became dissatisfied with it while doing so. I didn't have the experience or materials necessary to make one that I could be satisfied with carrying around and would work in a combat setting.

Again, I got frustrated. I lamented that I couldn't just throw a flashbang in his face and run like hell. Then, I realized that was exactly the right idea. A flashbang itself probably wouldn't do much, but I recalled an old-fashioned countermeasure that is similar to a flashbang for electronic scanning devices.

What about using a chaff bomb?

I became enamored with this concept once I had it. This galaxy didn't utilize chaff as a countermeasure for their fighters, so it was unlikely that Vader had ever seen it used before. Chaff was actually a very simple and old-school recipe once you knew it. I just collected a bunch of scraps of paper and coated them with an aluminum-like substance before shredding them into little confetti-sized pieces. It took some experimenting to find something that would work, but I was able to use my macrobinoculars in my work shed on Tatooine to eventually devise a working formula that could be used against HUD technology. Since the tech in the macrobinoculars and in helmet HUDs all relied on the same basic principals, I was confident this would still affect whatever version Vader used.

The materials I experimented with would also eventually become a fiberglass/aluminum mixture of my own design that was incredibly similar to the almost fur-like substance put out by aircraft on Earth to jam radar locking equipment. I had decided to include both the aluminum confetti and the fiberglass materials into my final mixture since I was running short of materials I had purchased at that point and I figured using both would give me the best chance of having some sort of positive result with whatever HUD tech Vader had in his visor. Kinda sloppy, but I needed something that would work at least a little and give me a few seconds with which to act.

I packed all of this in to a sealed and pressurized canister a bit thicker than one of the larger commercial fire extinguishers one may find on Earth in almost any building. I tested my design by using an actual fire extinguisher I built on my own and was satisfied with the pressure tolerances I'd guessed necessary for my idea to work. I thought it was fitting to use a fire extinguisher, considering that I was also packing the canister with pressurized white smoke to help add to the confusion of the device going off. A little bit of research into chemistry led me to a simple, yet effective formula consisting of potassium-chlorate, sugar, and baking soda, which would generate a sizable smoke cloud considering how much I was packing into the container.

Finally, I had to come up with a delivery system. To get the desired effect, I'd have to keep the canister a certain size. Trying to build a gun large enough to fire it would take more time and be heavy as hell once finished. I'd have to be as strong as a Wookiee to be toting around a firearm that large. I also ran into problems with developing an efficient triggering mechanism to actually set the thing off once I wanted to use it. Eventually, I decided that just throwing it telekinetically and then crushing it with the Force was both simple and effective.

Concealing my finished canister inside of a nondescript grey bag I had found lying around, I kept it in my workshop in anticipation of the day that I might need it. I didn't tell Kenobi what I was working on, since I didn't want to risk him interfering and maybe stop me somehow but I always kept the thing in sight and ready to go for the day we'd need to get off of Tatooine.

I had affectionately nicknamed it the Kenobi Life Insurance Policy, or KLIP for short.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

A loud bang filled the hanger as a small but powerful explosion had occurred. Thick white smoke covered the area around us in a radius of several meters. Within it, scraps of what looked like confetti began falling from the ceiling, having been thrown everywhere from the small, nonlethal explosion caused by the casing bursting open.

Not wanting to waste a single second and having already memorized exactly where the two combatants were standing a moment ago, I rushed forward with a burst of Force assisted speed and came to a stop right beside where I both sensed and remembered Kenobi was standing.

"Time to go!" I said quickly, making sure he knew it was me so I didn't end up being cut in two.

Not allowing him a moment to protest or ask questions, I grabbed the much older man around the waist, being mindful not to be cut on his lightsaber, and rushed us back into the hanger. Now clear of the smoke and the immediate area surrounding where I believed Vader to be, I turned my head to look behind us. The good news was that the smoke had begun to dissipate and the confetti bits had almost all stopped falling, allowing me to see fairly well. The bad news was that the smoke was clearing and the confetti was almost gone, meaning Vader could likely see better as well.

Vader was standing where I believed Kenobi and I were both standing just a moment ago. His red lightsaber was still ignited and there were angry red marks on the bulkhead where more than one slash had clearly been delivered in anger and - literally - blind frustration.

_'He must've only just missed us,'_ I thought, realizing that we had just barely escaped death.

Now, the dark figure had turned to see where we had gone and I could actually feel his rage as he poured it into the Force so close to us.

I was about to yell for Han or someone to shoot the door control when a pair of blaster bolts whizzed past my vision and did exactly that. The door control sparked and detonated a small explosion of its own as the components fried and melted under the combined firepower. This triggered the emergency damage control functions for the bulkhead, quickly closing the heavy blast door and blocking off Vader from following us into the hanger.

_"KENOBI!" _came a loud, deep, and furious yell just before the heavy door slammed into place.

Looking up at the ramp to the Falcon, I saw both Han and Leia waving me to hurry the hell up and get on board with one hand each while they held their blasters in their other hands. I didn't see Chewbacca or the droids, so they must've already gotten on board.

"Move it, kid!" Han shouted.

I didn't need telling twice as I raced up the ramp, right behind them with Kenobi under one arm as I half carried his stumbling form alongside me. Leia slapped the ramp controls as the ramp began to retract into the ship and Han bolted for the cockpit, likely to assist Chewie with takeoff.

Throwing one last look over my shoulder before entering the ship, I saw the sealed hatch glowing and warping near its center as a red lightsaber blade was beginning to pierce and cut through the secure bulkhead. Not fast enough to make a difference, but I doubt Vader cared all that much about the chances of success with how furious I could tell he was.

_'Fucking hell, he has a temper,'_ I thought with a slight chill running down my spine.

I was more than slightly relieved as I felt and heard the engines of the _Falcon_ powering up and the ramp sealing behind me as I half carried my mentor further into the ship.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

I hauled Kenobi up onto the couch and set him down as gently as I could. He was breathing heavily and just lied limply there on the couch once I set him down.

I hadn't ever been more aware of my teacher's age than I was now. Kenobi was always this figure of stability for the last three years of my life and whenever we trained. Seeing him like this and having pulled him away when he was literally moments from death had struck me harder than I had thought it would. Where the hell did Han keep the water bottles on this tub?

"What you did..." Kenobi panted a bit as he spoke. "Was incredibly...reckless."

"I believe the words you are looking for are 'thank you,'" I told him.

"Vader nearly defeated me," Kenobi said as I grabbed a spare cushion to prop up his upper back on the couch. "Even together...we wouldn't have been able to beat him."

"Like I was going to let you die here," I answered him. "I told you not to get detected by him. And what did you do?"

"It's likely he-"

"You got into a saber duel with him!" I interrupted him. "Which was exactly what I told you to avoid doing! What the hell is the matter with you?"

"He confronted me while I was returning-"

"What would have been the point if you'd died, huh?" I interrupted again, not letting him finish speaking. "You've called me the future of the Jedi, haven't you? Did you never stop to think of the role you could play in that future?"

Kenobi just lay there tiredly and didn't reply to me.

"Did you ever pause to think what your death at Vader's hands might mean for me trying to turn him back?" I asked. "You were his friend and mentor. You know him better than anyone else alive and mean more to him than almost anyone alive, even as an enemy! Don't you think I'll need you and all the help I can get to not only push my own plans for the future forward, but to keep Vader from slipping back into old habits?"

Kenobi still didn't reply, but now he wasn't even raising his head to meet my gaze as I spoke.

"You don't get to throw your life away like that, General Kenobi," I informed him. "You told me once that a Jedi's life is often one of sacrifice, right? That we follow the will of the Force and act in service to a greater good? Well, as the future of the Jedi Order, I'm telling you that you don't get to quit like that. Not on me, not on the galaxy, but most importantly not on yourself. You're going to survive all of this for as long as possible and you're gonna help create the future I want for this galaxy. And if you should die in service to that cause, it will not be because you quit, but only after you've done your damned best to ensure you've given your friends and this galaxy the best possible chance for a better future. Do you hear me, Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

I stopped my tirade there for the moment and allowed Kenobi some room to answer. He didn't respond verbally and still wouldn't meet my gaze, but he did nod jerkily in acknowledgement of my words. For now, I'll be satisfied with that.

A moment later, Han came out of the cockpit and into the lounge.

"We're not out of the woods yet," Han informed us. "We've got a wing of TIEs moving to intercept us. Luke, I need you in the dorsal gunner's seat!"

I patted Kenobi's shoulder one last time, giving him one last look before stepping up and towards the ladder leading to the gunnery seats.

We'd continue this discussion later, but for now? It was time to wipe out some TIE's before we make our escape.

**AN: Since we've all seen the movies, I'm not going to waste time with the canon events that aren't really necessary to the story. You don't really need an extra few paragraphs describing shooting down a wing of TIEs in the Falcon's gunnery seats. If it means that much to you, the original clip on Youtube is free.**

**I'll admit to having struggled a bit with how exactly to save Obi-Wan. When I wrote the very first chapter, I was starting to think that I couldn't do it in a plausible way. In my approach to writing, if it can't be done well, then it shouldn't be done at all. A lightsaber fight would have been ridiculous. Vader is a juggernaut in combat and has decades of experience on my MC. Even with Kenobi, the odds are stacked against us. Then I considered distracting him by having Luke shout 'father!' and use the opportunity. However, that reveal felt too soon for my tastes. Vader is also still extremely volatile and may not even be paying attention since he's so focused on finally killing Obi-Wan.**

**If all I have to do is distract him for a handful of seconds, how do I do that? By hitting him with something he's probably never seen before. As far as I know, Star Wars doesn't make any mention of chaff being used as a countermeasure. Vader's helmet has a HUD that allows him to see past that mask, so why can't it be used against him, even for a few seconds? Yeah he'd probably figure it out and never let it happen again, but it seems like a viable tactic if used properly this one time.**

**I'm certain I'm going to get some flack from at least some of you in the reviews about how I should have done something different or how Alderaan's moon being blown up instead of the planet was a cop out and a dumb move, but I'll just have to find some way to live with that criticism. I'm trying to explore some new ideas and I'm certain not everything I write will be popular. I only ask that you keep an open mind here.**

**Also, if you haven't seen the Mandalorian yet, I highly, _highly_, _HIGHLY_ advise you check it out. If you love Star Wars enough to read fanfiction about it, you're gonna love watching that show. There's lots of strong story elements from old westerns and I'd go so far as to say it's some of the best Star Wars content we've gotten in a long time. I can already hear that first reviewer asking me if I could incorporate one or more of the characters from the show.**

**As always, I love to read your reviews! Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan written story. Star Wars or any of the associated properties mentioned in this story are all owned by Disney and their respective companies, authors and/or corporations. This is purely a work of fiction written for pleasure and nonprofit. Please support the official release.**

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**Skywalker Resurgent Ch.6: A Necessary Battle**

Something the movies, shows, and books like to gloss over is time. It's no secret that a galaxy is a big place, especially when interstellar travel is involved. It would be several days until even the speedy _Millennium Falcon_ made the trip to the Alliance base on Yavin IV, as Leia had helpfully provided us the base's location as a place where we could run to and drop off the plans Artoo was still holding onto.

I had asked Leia if she thought moving straight for Yavin was a good idea. I'd pointed out that if we were being tracked (which I was fairly certain we were), we could easily take a random hyperspace route to a random planet, land, locate the tracker, and be on our way from there.

"We're risking a lot by going straight for an installation the Empire can track us to," I argued calmly. "We can always coordinate a strike on the Death Star in a few days or weeks. It'd give us plenty of time to plan and bring in more support."

"Luke, that's just not an option," Leia snapped at me, clearly getting frustrated by my continued prodding on the subject.

"Well, why not?" I asked, feeling frustrated myself. "Can you explain it to me?"

"You don't understand," Leia said, standing up to pace. We were in the lounge area and were alone, with the notable exception of Artoo, who was remaining quiet and was simply observing our conversation. Han and Chewie were in the cockpit right now while Kenobi was resting in one of the bunks and likely would be for most of the trip. I had no idea where Threepio had gotten off to.

I remained seated and waited for Leia to continue.

"We can't let that thing remain active," Leia began firmly. "We need it destroyed as soon as possible and now, we have the means to make it happen. This heap of scrap will get us there well ahead of the Death Star and let us lure it in for our fighters to strike at."

"But that doesn't explain why we have to lure the Death Star to the base at Yavin," I protested. "Why force a confrontation so soon?"

"We have to do it because they're scared, Luke," Leia admitted angrily, stopping her pacing and not turning to look at me. "They're all scared. The Alliance has already suffered serious losses trying to fight that thing and the galaxy can't afford for them to be indecisive on this."

That statement just hung in the sudden silence in the compartment. Surprised by her answer, I didn't say anything as Leia seemed to collect herself after her outburst and turned to sit herself in the chair, facing me on the couch.

"An Alliance fleet group already went off and tried to damage or destroy that blasted thing," Leia admitted. "We lost some of our best naval assets, including hundreds of fightercraft and our biggest capital ships. We didn't even scratch it in return. Command ordered that no further attempt was to be made until the Alliance could acquire some sort of advantage or detailed plans for the station with which to plan an attack. We've already theorized that a surgical strike with fightercraft can work, we've just never had the opportunity before. With the Death Star following us to our main planetary base and our detailed plans of the station's layout, as well as the fighters we have on hand, it should all be sufficient to commence an operation before the base is destroyed."

"And how will the rest of Alliance Command react once they find out about this?" I asked her, my tone inquisitive but not judgmental. I was starting to see where she was coming from, even if I didn't wholly agree.

"What they think won't matter," she informed me, surprising me with her words. "I'm also a member of the Alliance Command Council in my father's stead and I have the authority to make this decision. Whether the others stay or flee doesn't concern me. We won't get a better shot than we have right now and I'm making this decision on my own authority."

"They'll have no choice but to agree to a plan of action with the Death Star coming in hot on our heels," I said aloud, nodding in understanding.

"That's why we're headed right for the Alliance base at Yavin," Leia said, unashamed of her motivations. "That... that _damned monstrosity_ won't exist for one day longer than necessary. What it did to Alderaan _will not_ be repeated. I swear it."

I stared at Leia as she glared back at me challengingly. Reaching through the Force, something I'd been doing a lot more often of late, I looked for any insights into her emotional state. I sensed anger and a deep hatred of the Empire for what they'd done... but overriding that was a powerful determination. She wanted that station destroyed and for the Empire to pay, but more because she believed it was the right thing to do than for personal revenge. Oh, revenge was certainly a part of it, but I believed her desire to see that the Death Star was destroyed was far greater than simple revenge. This was about slaying the dreaded monster, and that was all the reason needed to act in her mind.

I also sensed she was waiting for me to keep arguing or to give her some kind of reprimand for her motivations, but I wasn't going to do either of those things.

"Okay."

Leia's eyes widened in surprise at my sudden acceptance.

"Just like that?" she asked.

"Just like that," I nodded with a smile. "You know the stakes and you know the Alliance better than I do. If this is what you say needs to happen, then I believe you."

It didn't hurt that I know her plan has a chance of succeeding but even if I didn't, I couldn't deny that she had a point. That station had to go.

"And besides," I said, standing up. "I happen to want that station destroyed as well. That thing's a weapon of terror placed in the hands of those who are far too willing to use it. You can count on my help when the time comes."

I held out my hand to shake, as an affirmation of my promise. Leia smiled and grasped my own hand in hers. Her grip was firm and I could feel the sense of relief pouring off of her. I suppose she was especially grateful that I hadn't judged her motivations a moment ago when she'd bared her soul like that. While it may not have been for _entirely_ honorable reasons, I agreed with the motivations one hundred percent.

Also, Leia _did_ know the state of Alliance politics better than I did. If she was confident that this was necessary, then I wasn't going to argue without some strong evidence that contradicted her.

For now, we just had to rest up as much as we could before we arrived at Yavin. Things were only going to get busier once we arrived.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

A little over an hour after our discussion, it seemed Leia tried to explain the same thing to Han or perhaps tried to sell the virtuous cause of the Alliance to him. I caught the tail end of the argument as I walked towards the cockpit, nearly bumping into Leia as she was exiting the cockpit herself.

"Your friend is quite the mercenary," she informed me with a scowl. "I wonder if he cares about anything. Or anyone."

With that parting shot, Leia left. I could almost feel the sting of that last comment as Han didn't so much as turn his eyes away from the console in front of him, but kept his shoulders hunched and forward.

Choosing not to comment directly on what just occurred, I sat down in the empty copilot's seat. After about a minute of neither of us saying anything, I decided to try and address the bantha in the room as delicately as possible.

"Friendly disagreement?" I asked lightly.

"Yeah," Han snorted. "You could say that."

"She's just passionate about her cause," I told him. "Emotions are running a bit high right now, given recent events. I'm sure she didn't mean that."

"Whatever," he grumbled.

He didn't add anything further to that and I chose not to either.

"Still..." he said finally, trailing off. "You've got to admit that she's got spirit."

Han let that sentence hang there as I chose not to respond and just looked at him.

"I don't know, kid," Han said, leaning back in his seat. "Do you ever think a princess and a guy like me could...I don't know...make it work somehow?"

"Stranger things have happened," I replied. "Trust me on that."

"Well yeah, but...I don't know...just forget it," Han trailed off again, sighing.

"Han," I said turning in my seat to face him and give my response. "If you want to give it a shot, then go for it. If you're looking for affirmation from someone else, then all I have to say is to be certain of what you'd be getting into and don't do it halfhearted. You're a decent enough guy by my reckoning and Leia's not so terrible herself, if just a bit passionate on certain subjects. If you're looking for encouragement, then I say give it a shot. You two already argue like you're married anyway."

"What the hells? No we don't!" Han denied.

"Sure, sure," I smirked.

"Wipe that smirk off of your face, kid," Han warned me. "I've met her type before and I'm not exactly a fan of the whole 'your royal highness' attitude. She's rather full of herself on a good day, so far as I can tell. That, and I don't go out for big causes like she clearly does. Frankly, she's bad news and a bad time for someone like me."

"Then why are we even talking about this?" I asked, still smiling.

"I-" Han cut himself off before starting to speak again a moment later. "We're not anymore."

"Then I guess we're not," I agreed.

"Right, exactly," Han said.

"Precisely."

"We're done."

"Sure."

Silence reigned again in the cockpit as Han frowned in annoyance at the warped star streaks of hyperspace outside of the cockpit. I kept a smile on my face as I admired the view alongside him.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

Despite it's descriptor of being a moon, Yavin IV was actually the size of a normal planet. Just because it was in orbit of a gas giant instead of a star apparently didn't mean it had to be small like Earth's own moon or other planetary satellites I was familiar with. In hindsight, that made sense. There are a fair few complications in setting up a base in a low gravity environment that were never mentioned before in the books or movies.

Our approach to the rebel base went uncontested once Leia transmitted her clearance codes. I admit that the facility was well hidden beneath the ruins of one of the ancient Massassi temple complexes. It was practically indiscernible from the terrain and the ancient ruins. I couldn't see clear signs of activity until we were right on top of it.

Our receiving party only consisted of four armed guards, all wearing helmets, combat webbing, and carrying decently sized blaster rifles. The rest of the group was made up of what looked like three staff officers being led by two older men who stood out in front of the group. They weren't wearing any discernible rank so far as I could see, but I got the impression that they must have been pretty high ranking by the way the four guards stood protectively near them rather than the three supposedly more junior officers behind them.

Leia led the way down the _Falcon's_ ramp, letting them get a good look at her first before jumping to any conclusions about this being a ploy of some sort. This seemed to be the right call, as everyone immediately relaxed and smiles broke out among the Alliance members as they recognized the princess.

"You're safe!" the man said, relieved. "When we received word about your ship and then Alderaan, we had feared the worst."

"Regretfully, there's no more time for sorrows, commander," Leia said. "The tactical data for the station is stored in the R2 unit. We can use it to plan our attack."

Nodding, the officer gestured to two of his men to move forward for Artoo. Giving the little astromech a pat on his blue dome, I told him it was alright to go with them and that we'd catch up later. Beeping in acknowledgement, he rolled off with the two Alliance troopers.

Introductions had apparently already begun while I was distracted.

"General Jan Dodonna, this is General Obi-Wan Kenobi," Leia said with a gracious air. "General Kenobi, this is General Jan Dodonna. He's one of our best generals and one of the Alliance's greatest assets."

Jan Dodonna was an older man wearing tan clothes with a longcoat over his uniform. It had white accents on the sleeves and inner lining, which actually managed to compliment the man's white hair and beard. He had firm, but smooth lines on his face which showed his many years of experience.

"General Kenobi, it is an honor to have you among us," Dodonna greeted formally. "I was an admirer of your deeds during the Clone Wars and am happy to hear whatever input you have to offer."

"The pleasure is all mine, general," Kenobi bowed in return. "I look forward to giving whatever aid I can. However, I believe my student will be of just as much interest to you as I."

Turning their attention to me, Leia spoke up again. "General Dodonna, this is Luke Skywalker. He's a jedi as well and currently studying under General Kenobi in the ways of the Force."

"This is wonderful news!" the old man exclaimed happily. He reached out and shook my hand with a strong grip. "Mr. Skywalker, we're all excited to have you here. For too long we've had a distinct lack of jedi among our ranks. I know I speak for everyone when I say; welcome to the Alliance."

"It's an honor, general," I said to him. I was genuine in my praise to the man. I remembered that Dodonna was basically the father of the Alliance's starfighter doctrine. The Alliance's strike craft only succeeded as they did because of this man's contribution. His emphasis on hyperdrive capable ships was what gave the Alliance a competitive edge against the Empire's superior numbers and firepower.

Together, we all walked into the base as we continued talking. I noticed that Han and Chewie hadn't been introduced, but Leia wasn't preventing them from following us either. I still wasn't very good at reading Chewie's expressions, but Han kept a disinterested look on his face as he followed with the group. Still, I noticed his eyes taking in everything and was certain he was paying attention to what was being said.

Leia told Dodonna to call for a briefing to discuss a serious situation about the Death Star. Dodonna agreed and said that he was sure they would be happy for any information she could provide.

Something tells me they weren't going to be so chipper when Leia broke the news that the Death Star was on the way here.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

As expected, they didn't take it well at all.

There was the expected surprise, anger, and panic as the news settled in with the officers. Some of them wanted to evacuate immediately, while others were attempting to berate Leia for her recklessness. A difficult task, given how unrepentant she was and the stubborn authority she carried with her. While the ranking structure here was unfamiliar to me and seemed rather nebulous, it was clear that Leia was higher up in it than almost everyone else in the room.

And it didn't hurt that anyone who _might_ outrank her, was clearly on her side.

Dodonna and Kenobi were both among the few in that category. Their combined presence, rank, and reputation kept the others from completely losing their cool as the panic began to overwhelm some of them. They assured everyone that with the plans Leia had provided, they'd have everything necessary to make a surgical strike to either disable or destroy the station with the fighters they had on hand. Artoo was already feeding the plans to the Alliance technicians and they'd confirmed that they had everything they'd need to plan an attack.

Once the meeting had calmed down, Kenobi and I were formally introduced to the group gathered. It wasn't the whole Alliance Command, but it was a significant fraction of them. Gathering everyone in one place was an almost unheard of event and nearly impossible with a galaxy-spanning conflict going on. I could tell that Mon Mothma, Bel Iblis, and a few others whom I knew made up the Alliance leadership weren't here.

I was also introduced as 'Kenobi's Padawan,' which I found a bit annoying. I'd have preferred it if they'd called me his partner instead, but that didn't carry the same implications as 'padawan' to these people. Maybe it was because I was much older than I looked or because I had a problem with being labeled as 'the student,' but it was a bit aggravating to be looked at like the followup act to Kenobi's greatness. Although, I had to acknowledge that he was the one with the reputation here. Right now, I was just the farmboy from the backwater world. That would certainly change in time, but I'd have to just bear with it for now. Besides that, there was an undeniable advantage to being an unknown. It'd let me build my own reputation with these people in time.

As the meeting began to break up and people went to handle different tasks, I was approached by Leia and someone I didn't recognize.

"Luke, there's someone I want you to meet," she said. "This is Commander Garvin Dreis. He's in charge of Red Squadron."

The commander held out his hand to shake. He was a man of average height with short, curly blonde hair and light green eyes. He looked to be somewhere in his thirties, although indications of age were often misleading in this galaxy. He greeted me with a friendly smile.

"A pleasure to meet you, commander," I said, shaking his hand.

"Pleasure's all mine, Skywalker," he said. "I've been speaking with her highness about you and you've certainly accomplished some impressive things already. By chance, are you related to Anakin Skywalker?"

I was shocked and taken off guard by the sudden question. After a moment of debate with myself, I told him.

"Yes, I am," I said, not hiding my surprise. "I'm his son. How did you know that?"

"I had the opportunity to fly with your father during the Battle of Virujansi," he informed me. "Best damn pilot I'd ever seen in my life. If you're anything like him, I'll be glad to have you on my wing in this assault. If you're a lot like him, we'll all be glad to have you out there with us before this thing is through."

What followed was a trip to the flight simulators. A separate room set aside with plenty of empty cockpit modules so that a whole squadron could train together in virtual reality. Commander Dreis explained that they had to conserve as many resources as they could, so a lot of training had to be done in simulators to avoid wearing down what we had. Besides, all of the fighters they currently had were being prepped for action and they didn't have any to spare for 'hands on' experience.

Dreis explained that they had to see what I could do first in the simulator before they let me try out an X-wing. An elaborate series of simulated missions were lined up for me to prove myself on. Dreis said he'd be in the next room with some of the other members of the squadron to check on my progress and make adjustments to the program when necessary. He told me to just do my best and not worry about passing or failing and that he was sure I'd do fine regardless.

To make a long story short, I nailed it.

They threw waves of TIE fighters at me, had me take simulated strike runs at planetary targets, had me make maneuvers through complex formations, and the bane of all gamers; they had me do an escort mission.

On that last one, I figured someone must've decided to make one of those 'adjustments' to the program the commander mentioned. An Imperial Star Destroyer jumped out of hyperspace right in front of the convoy. Not panicking beyond one surprised curse (since it was just a simulation), I gave orders to the rest of the computer generated fighters in the convoy to screen them from the TIEs while I took my wingman (another computer simulated character) straight in to make a close up run on the star destroyer's turbolaser batteries to give the convoy more time to escape.

I took my fighter under the belly of the star destroyer and avoided almost all of her primary weaponry in the process. Upon passing her engine block, I cut my engines and made a zero gravity turn before rising and putting myself directly behind the ship in what I knew was its blind spot. Accelerating to my craft's top speed, I made an attack run on the ship's port turbolaser batteries. I skimmed only a few meters above the hull and landed devastating, if simulated, blows to the ships armaments. It probably would've been more impressive if my computer generated wingman had managed to follow me. As it was, it had been destroyed trying to mimic my maneuvers. Nevertheless, the digitally rendered convoy managed to flee along with most of the fighters, ending the simulation.

With the simulation over, one of the techs instructed me to go ahead and climb out of the simulator capsule. As I did, I saw Commander Dreis came out of the control room, along with a familiar face.

"Biggs?" I asked, surprised. "Biggs Darklighter, what the hell are you doing here?"

Biggs was an old friend from Tatooine. I remember that he'd left Tatooine nearly a year and a half before I did and had gone to one of the Imperial academies to become a pilot. He'd returned to Tatooine to say his goodbyes, as he'd instead been recruited to join the Alliance before even completing his first assignment. He'd encouraged me to come with him or at least follow in his footsteps, but I'd declined at the time. I'd wished him luck and we'd parted ways there. It seems that just like in the original story, he'd ended up here.

"Doing my part in order to save the galaxy, of course!" he said, stepping forward and pulling me into a manly embrace. After a few backslaps, Dreis stepped forward and spoke up.

"Darklighter has been on Red Squadron for a few months now," he explained. "I just caught up with him in the computer room over there and told him that we were testing a new recruit. He just about fell over when I told him your name."

"Probably just out of relief that I'm around again to watch his back," I laughed, giving Biggs a friendly punch in the arm. "Hell of a small galaxy that you and I both ended up here!"

Biggs grinned at me. Despite being only slightly older than me, the young man had managed to grow a thick, dark mustache to match his equally dark hair. Biggs was always a good friend and I had memories of growing up alongside of him and the good times we'd had together. Our friendship hadn't really changed after I became the 'new' Luke Skywalker and I was glad he'd apparently done well for himself, if the lieutenant's insignia on his flight suit was any indication.

"Keep telling yourself that, Skyboy," Biggs brushed off. "Although I did tell the commander that we'd be missing out on a hell of a good pilot if he didn't get you into a flight suit as soon as possible. You're a pretty decent pilot and we could use your talents around here."

"'Pretty decent?'" I parroted back. "Excuse you, but who has the better flight scores here? I seem to recall _someone_ frequently coming in second place whenever we raced through the canyons and it certainly wasn't me. Or are you going to tell me that academy you went to did the impossible and made you a better pilot than me?"

"Head out of the clouds, Skyboy," Biggs said without any heat. "You're not as good as you think you are."

"Still good enough to outfly you, Darklighter," I smirked.

"That a fact?" Biggs responded, a challenging look in his eye.

"He's pretty damn good in the simulator, at least," Dreis said. He'd been watching us with a wry smile on his face. "And didn't someone just describe him as the best bush pilot in the Outer Rim territories a few minutes ago?"

"Someone, eh?" I said, smirking at Biggs who rolled his eyes and didn't meet my gaze. "That same someone also wouldn't have been responsible for a freaking star destroyer jumping on top of that convoy in the last simulation, were they?"

"Darklighter said we were going too easy on you," Drevis confirmed to me. "Usually, it's just a light cruiser or two. From what I saw, he was right. That was an excellent maneuver you pulled back there. You went right for that _Imperial_-class' weak spot and took advantage before any TIEs could catch up to you. That was damn excellent flying, from start to finish. Do all bush pilots practice maneuvers like that on Tatooine?"

"Well," I began, a bit abashed by the older man's praise. "I'll admit that I was hoping to join one of the flight academies at some point, so I practiced against lots of types of ships and studied their layouts for vulnerabilities. Those recruitment videos really have an impact on an impressionable farmboy from a planet in the middle of nowhere, ya know?"

Both men nodded in understanding. "You've got to hand it to the guys who run their PR department; they're good at what they do," commented Biggs. "It's how they got me to join after all."

"Right?" I agreed. "Anyway, I'm guessing I passed?"

"With flying colors," Dreis confirmed. "Welcome to Red Squadron, Red Five."

My answering grin must've been stuck to my face for almost an hour after he said that.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_Years Ago..._

_Kenobi had joined me today at the airfield at Tosche Station. We had rented one of the small simulator booths the owner kept in the shed and I intended it to be the focus of today's lesson. I had even payed a little extra to the owner to ask that we not be disturbed as we rented the simulator he kept in one of the small, one room shacks and out of sight of the other customers. Kenobi had agreed to meet me here for another lesson at my request. He thought I was just here for some extra practice, and he was right...to an extent._

_"You want to learn how to use the Force while piloting?" Kenobi asked._

_"Force sensitive individuals make excellent pilots," I explained. "There are countless examples of otherwise ordinarily skilled pilots being capable of feats that should otherwise be impossible. Stuff that goes well beyond what natural talent or experience alone should be capable of. My own father is a prime example of what a Force user is capable of if they're both skilled and strong in the Force."_

_"Anakin was easily the best pilot I've ever seen," Kenobi agreed with me. "Whenever the occasion would come up, I practically had to drag him away from some new ship or machine in order to get his complete attention. And whenever we actually flew in something, he achieved feats that still amaze me to this day."_

_"So you think it was mostly his natural talent?" I asked. _

_"There were many Jedi with some measure of natural talent for flying," Kenobi explained. "Your father was one of the few people I thought might be as skilled, if not more so, than the average Jedi pilot without using his connection to the Force."_

_"And using the Force likely only enhanced his abilities," I mused._

_"It made him the best," he admitted. "With the Force as his ally in the cockpit, I don't believe there was anyone capable of matching him in a battle of pure skill."_

_"So, training with the Force _can _enhance one's piloting skills. Could you teach those techniques to me?" I asked._

_"Already preparing for your later adventures?" Kenobi asked wryly. _

_"The problem with being the best skyhopper pilot on Tatooine," I explained. "Is that nobody who doesn't live on Tatooine cares. Tatooine isn't exactly a good sample size, nor is it good training for going up against people who fly starfighters for a living. With the Death Star to consider, as well as how the Alliance will likely want me to commit to being one of their 'star' fighter pilots afterwards, pun intended, I'm going to want every advantage I can get."_

_"Very well," Kenobi gave in. "We can spend some time reviewing techniques and working on utilizing your reflexes while piloting the speeder as extra practice. You may have to practice with actual aircraft on your own time."_

_There actually wasn't too much to it once you realized the techniques were all simple enough to employ. Much like personal combat, it involved sensing danger and reacting to it. The real trick was getting experience and maintaining that awareness. Also in getting a feel for the aircraft through the Force and feeling what its capabilities were as well as learning to avoid actions the Force told me might lead to death or danger. _

_I was quite fortunate that I had any number of friends and local teens from nearby farms and towns willing to take me on as a challenger if I said the right things. Pride motivates a lot of young egos. _

_Let's just say I did a lot more flying through Beggar's Canyon, bullseyeing womp rats, and targeting boulders that looked to be about two meters across, smaller, or maybe sometimes starfighter-sized. It got to the point where some of my friends were kinda sick of trying to compete with me one-on-one and instead started to form teams against me or make me take handicaps in our little competitions._

_It didn't help them as much as they thought it would. _

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_Present..._

The final briefing began with little preamble, with Dodonna and a few of his staff entering the briefing room, greeting the assembled pilots, and activating the display in front of us. Once the display had finished loading, it showed a basic wireframe outline of the Death Star, with sensor data depicting defensive stats along the side.

Wasting no time, Dodonna got right into it.

"The battle station is heavily shielded and carries firepower greater than half of a sector fleet," he explained. "It's defenses are designed around a large scale assault. A small, one man fighter should have little trouble penetrating the outer defenses."

The display shifted, highlighting one particular area of the Death Star's surface as it zoomed in and greater details began to show up on the display.

One pilot raised his hand and asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Pardon me, sir," he said. "But what good are snub fighters going to do against that?"

"Well, the Empire doesn't consider a small, one man fighter to be of any threat," Dodonna explained. "Otherwise, they'd have built a tighter defense net around the station."

That actually fit pretty well with the Empire's approach to combat. They invest almost nothing in their fighter and small craft designs and production while using those funds instead for overwhelming firepower and capital ship production. As I recalled, it was part of that asinine 'Tarkin Doctrine,' which basically proclaimed that every problem, no matter the size, needed a sledgehammer approach whereas a scalpel or just talking could've probably done the job just as well.

"Thanks to the plans acquired by Princess Leia, we've been able to locate a weakness in the battle station," the general continued. "The approach will not be easy, but is possible."

The display shifted again and demonstrated a POV shot that moved into a long trench. Turbolaster towers were highlighted alongside the trench as the shot moved forward until it came to an abrupt end, highlighting an opening against the trench's ending wall.

"You'll be required to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface until this point," Dodonna elaborated. "You'll need to give your targeting computers enough time to calibrate for the shot, so entering the trench at a suitable distance will be critical. The target is an opening only two meters wide. It's a small, radiation exhaust port that serves as a backup for the main exhaust."

"However, this one has a design weakness we can exploit. The port has a shaft leading directly to the main reactor system. A direct hit should trigger a chain reaction, destroying the station by detonating the main reactor."

"That's impossible, even for a computer!" one pilot beside me protested.

"Not impossible," I corrected. "Just very difficult. Bush pilots on Tatooine make bullseye shots on womp rats using civilian-spec T-16's all the time. With X-wings using their superior speed and targeting capabilities, it's still possible."

"Precisely," Dodonna nodded to me in gratitude. "Pilots making the run on the trench will have to give themselves enough time for their targeting computers to break through the ECM and jamming that will be surrounding it. In order to ensure the torpedoes make it, we'll be specially modifying the proton torpedoes you'll be firing to ensure they travel all the way to the reactor before detonating."

"Are there any other questions?" Dodonna asked. There were a few about the status of evacuating unnecessary equipment and personnel and our planned launch time, but Dodonna quickly answered those and the briefing room was once again silent.

"Pilots," he finally said. "Man your ships. And may the Force be with you."

Everyone stood and began to file out of the room as the briefing ended. Before he could get too far, I reached out an arm and tapped one of my fellow pilots on the shoulder. He was the one sitting beside me who had called the mission impossible.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name," I said, holding out my hand to shake.

The man sighed and reached out to grasp my hand in his. "It's Wedge," he said. "Wedge Antilles. I'm Red Two."

"Good to meet ya, wingman," I said with a smile, not overly reacting to the name. "I'm Luke Skywalker and I hear I'll be partnered with you as Red Five."

"Yeah, the Jedi kid her highness brought in," Wedge answered, although not maliciously. "Word travels fairly quick around here."

"Not that much of a kid," I objected in a friendly tone. "I managed to zip up my own flight suit in the locker room! And I even put my boots on the correct feet on my first try."

Wedge barked out a short laugh at that and I saw some of the tension go out of him at the same time.

"Sorry if it seemed like I was a bit of a prick back there," I apologized. "I know getting the shot on target will be hard, but I didn't want you or anyone thinking it was impossible. I might've phrased it better though."

"Nah, don't sweat it," he waved off. "I realize it's not impossible to make that shot, but..." he trailed off and let out a sigh. "I just feel like we may loose a lot of pilots on this mission for a target we really should have more support against."

"We'll make it happen," I assured him. "Whatever the price at then end of the day, I promise you it'll be worth it to see this thing gone. I've seen what that thing did to Alderaan at a low power setting and I don't want to think what a full blast will do to a planet. I've got a good idea of what the Empire might use that damn thing for in the future and it's nothing good. This fight is worth it."

"Well damn," Wedge chuckled. "Didn't expect the rookie to have that kind of confidence and determination on his first mission. Although, with a jedi involved, I probably should've in hindsight."

"Well don't go asking for miracles just yet," I admonished him, laughing a bit. "I'm technically not a full jedi, yet. Best I can probably do right now is the incredible."

Wedge laughed again. I could feel the last of his tension seep out of him. Now, I could feel more of a sense of purpose in him as told me he had to get going to check on his fighter.

"See you out there, wingman," he called back, walking away from me.

My eyes followed him down the corridor for a few moments as the young rebel pilot walked away. Assuming we both survived this, I was looking forward to getting to know the man a little better.

_'So that was the legendary Wedge Antilles,'_ I thought. _'Good thing he doesn't seem like a total prick. It'd be a real pain having to work with him if he was. Here's hoping we have many years of working together ahead of us.'_

Now, it was time for me to get to the hanger.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

"So, you're leaving us?" I asked.

We were making our final checks before launch and I had one last thing to take care of. Han was still adamant about leaving and I really needed to convince him to stick around. True to her word, Leia had arranged payment for Han and had even thrown in a bonus for his troubles. In total, Han and Chewie were walking away from this 25,000 credits richer and were making off with some spare weapons and ammo the Alliance was willing to part with. It certainly made for a tidy sum, but now I had to convince Han to stick around even though leaving was definitely the smarter option.

"That's right," Han agreed, unashamed. "I got some old debts I've got to pay off with this stuff. Even if I didn't, you don't think I'd be fool enough to stick around here, do you?"

Chewie grabbed the last two crates and carried them off to the _Falcon_ while Han turned to face me. "Y'know, why don't you come with us? You're pretty good in a fight. Chewie and I could really use you."

"Han, look," I began. "I know that you need this money and I'm not even going to suggest you don't take it. But are you sure there's not some part of you that doesn't want to stay and help?"

"A reward's no good if you're not around to spend it, kid," Han answered, walking back to where the _Falcon_ was parked. "And I don't think you know me well enough to make those kinds of assumptions about me. I've told you before and I'll tell you again; I'm in this to get _paid_ and _go_. I'm not one for believing in causes."

"You and I both know that's not entirely true," I told him, placing an arm in front of him and stopping him before he boarded his ship. "The man who ran off to be an officer in the Imperial Navy certainly believed in something. That was the same man who helped defend Nar Shadaa from the Empire and the same man who helped liberate those people on Ylesia from the Hutts. I know you've been burned by people you've trusted before, Han. I'm sorry that's happened to you and I wish I could change it. But I do think there's a part of you that still wants to believe in something."

"Okay, how in the Nine Hells of Corellia do you know about that?" Han demanded, slapping my hand down and jamming a finger in my face aggressively. "Just who the hell are you really, and how do you know so much about me? Are you some kind of spy?"

And wasn't _that_ an accusation I had been worried about receiving?

_'Perhaps a little honesty here could go a long way?'_ I though to myself.

"I'm still just Luke Skywalker, Han," I told him calmly. "I'm the same guy you escaped the Death Star with. I'm also a Force sensitive and that makes me a little more weird than the average person living in this galaxy. Even weirder is the stuff I've got in my head that seems simultaneously true, weird, fictional, and oddly specialized. Forget any broad strokes like me knowing you wanted to be an officer; that's just details. What it really tells me is the important stuff. It tells me that you're a good man, Han Solo. It's why I want you to stick around. It's why I think you want that too. But whatever me, Kenobi, or Leia would want, you have to make your own choices."

Han just stared at me for a few moments as he processed my answer. During this exchange, Chewbacca came back down the ramp and paused near us, apparently sensing the tension as he chose not to say anything or otherwise interfere.

"If you have some magic power that lets you know all this, then don't you know what I'll already do?" Han asked. He was a bit more quiet than he was a moment ago, but still didn't sound like he believed me fully.

"That's not how it works, Han," I told him. "You still have the freedom to choose here. I hope you'll make the right choice, but failing that, I hope you make the choice you're best able to live with."

Turning away from him, I faced Chewie to say my goodbyes to him. "Take good care of each other, Chewie. Han's damn lucky to have you around to look out for him."

The wookiee let out a soft yowl and surprised me by pulling me into a hug. I laughed, surprised by the sudden display of affection, but patted the larger being on the back as I appreciated the gesture. I wonder if all wookiees are so affectionate?

I walked away from them both at that point and headed to my assigned fighter. I was confident that if nothing else, I had made as good a case as I could have to ensure that Han stuck around. Either that, or I had just scared him off with my display of knowledge. I suppose we'll find out.

Ok, maybe dropping Leia's name there near the end was a bit of a dirty trick, but I stand by it and everything else I said. Han Solo really was a man with a heart of gold, even if it didn't seem like it at times. He grew up in a harsh galaxy and it drove home harsh lessons to him at any and every opportunity. Despite all that, I knew he still wanted to do good in this galaxy. Helping out with the Death Star was his way of trying to be a hero again. Someone he could respect more for being a good person than just another survivor when he looked into a mirror.

Shaking my head, I cleared my mind and began to focus on the task ahead as I approached my assigned X-wing, Artoo already being loaded into the astromech slot behind the cockpit.

"Luke, are you okay?"

I turned my head and saw Leia and Kenobi making their way towards me.

"It's just Han," I explained. "I tried convincing him to stay, but I don't think I got through to him as much as I'd have liked."

Leia frowned in displeasure, apparently annoyed with the Corellian once again. "Luke, he's got to follow his own path. No one can choose it for him."

"That is very true," I agreed. Kenobi nodded to me, conveying understanding of why I wanted Han to stick around. We'd discussed it before and had agreed that all I can do is nudge him towards a decision, not make it for him.

I was still confident that Han would make the right decision. I just knew better than to keep the topic going around Leia right now.

Switching tracks, I turned to Kenobi.

"So, what exactly have they got you doing around here, _general_?" I asked, smirking at my mentor.

"I'll be staying here, offering advice in the command center along with General Dodonna," Kenobi explained.

"I'm surprised they didn't try to shove you into one of these fighters," I told him.

"They did, actually," Leia chimed in, smirking.

"Yes," Kenobi said, sighing and looking just a bit uncomfortable. "I flatly refused. Flying daring missions from the cockpit of a fighter is a young man's game and I've been out of it long enough as it is. I told them that if they wanted a Jedi fighter pilot, then you're the one they're looking for, not me."

I smiled at the compliment and replied. "Well, I could've given you a refresher course while we were back on Tatooine, but you kept declining."

"And for legitimate reasons," Kenobi argued. "Flying combat missions is a young man's game. I was never especially talented at it and you're clearly far better at it than I. Besides that, they'd have to pull one of their already trained pilots out to give me a fighter, which I advised them not to do."

"Uh huh," I said, sounding unconvinced. Turning to Leia, I leaned in and stage-whispered the last factor he hadn't mentioned. "He actually hates flying."

"It's not a matter of disliking or liking piloting," Kenobi defended while I smirked at him.

"Sure, sure," I waved off. "I suppose neither of you are getting on the transports then?"

A lot of equipment and a number of personnel had already been loaded up on transports. Regardless of how this turned out, the Empire knew where we were and the Alliance couldn't hope to hold out with the full might of the Imperial Navy coming down on them. We were keeping enough personnel here to run the operation, but everyone else would be running to the transports the minute it looked like this wasn't going to pan out. Until then, those ships would be staying on the ground to help draw in the Death Star and make it seem like they'd caught us with our pants down.

"Not a chance," Leia affirmed. "This was my plan. I'll be here no matter what."

And really, what more could I say about that?

"And I shall be staying as well," Kenobi added. "Because I have complete confidence in your ability to succeed. And because I believe my presence will help inspire confidence in the others who will be staying."

"Thank you," I told him sincerely. Even though he had good cause to believe we could pull this off, I was comforted by his confidence in me.

"We just wanted to come over and wish you luck before you took off," Leia said with a smile.

"Uh oh," I said, chuckling. "Don't say that word around Kenobi! He doesn't believe in that word!"

"What? Why?" Leia asked, surprised by my reaction.

"Because in my experience," Kenobi remarked, stroking his beard once again. "There is no such thing as luck."

"Well then, what do you say instead?" Leia asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

"May the Force be with you," he and I both said at the same time. Except, I was smirking while I said it while Kenobi just looked a little smug.

"Then I'll say; may the Force be with you, Luke Skywalker," Leia said, stepping forward and giving me a hug. She finished it by giving me a chaste kiss on the cheek before stepping back.

"Thank you," I told her. "And with you both as well. I'll see you when I get back."

With a pat on the shoulder from Kenobi and a wave from Leia, the two left me. Likely, they were headed to the command and control center where they could monitor the operation.

After watching them go, I walked over to my assigned X-wing. Approaching it, I ran a hand along the slight bulge in the nose which held the sensor suite and various other electronic devices. Several red accents had already been painted onto its tan and grey hull, designating it as part of Red Squadron, just without any other form of writing or markings denoting personalization. I might have to change that later.

A pair of technicians were using a small, portable crane to load Artoo into the astromech slot located behind the cockpit. From there, Artoo would help manage my fighter's systems and assist in providing tactical support to me on the fly. He could even assist in minor repairs and help conduct workarounds for malfunctioning or damaged parts.

"This R2 unit of yours has seen some wear," one of the technicians commented on my approach. "You sure you don't want us to get you another one?"

"Not on your life," I told him. "That droid has seen more combat than this whole squadron put together and he's survived just fine. That's just the kind of partner I want at my side in a pinch. You up for another daring mission, Artoo?"

[Sure am!] he beeped back to me.

Spending all this time around Artoo had helped me improve my understanding of binary. Now, I was understanding a lot more than just 'yes' and 'no.' Perhaps it was also slightly influenced by the Force, but it was getting easier to parse out more complicated meanings whenever we spoke.

Threepio gave his own well wishes to Artoo as the techs ran their final checks and the cockpit canopy closed over me, blocking out the sounds of the makeshift hangar around me and being replaced by the lights and sounds of my X-wing powering up for takeoff.

_'Time to get my game face on,'_ I thought wryly.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

I entered my spot in the formation. We poured on the speed to circle the planet Yavin and come about the other side. As we rounded the planet, we saw it cresting over the horizon. From this far out, it really did look like just another moon. The only indicators from this far out that it was something more was the oddly uniform shape of it and our scanners lighting it up as they picked up the massive power source. There was a bit of chatter as the command and control network back at the base giving numbers for distance, power generation, speed, and most likely course direction. I only half listened as I focused on keeping my breathing steady and prepared myself for the coming fight.

Soon, I heard the call over the squadron frequency.

_"All fighters; report in,"_ came the order from Commander Dreis, Red One or Red Leader.

_"Red Two, standing by." _Wedge.

_"Red Three, standing by." _Biggs.

_"Red Four, standing by." _A pilot whom I hadn't met yet.

"Red Five, standing by," I keyed over the squadron frequency.

_'Red October, standing by,'_ I thought suddenly with a thick Scottish bough. I gave a sudden snort of laughter, glad that my mic was turned off.

The rest of the strike force chimed in, including the flight of Y-wings which would be making the first attempt on the Trench. Our job would be to cover them to the best of our ability and get them a clear shot at that exhaust port.

_"Lock S-foils into attack position,"_ came the order from Red One. _"Red Squadron, accelerate to match my speed ahead of the Y-wings. We'll be clearing the way for them and drawing off the initial response fire from their defenses."_

I did as instructed, deploying my fighter's iconic x-shaped wing design into attack position to maximize maneuverability and my firing arc while sacrificing some speed. Unexpectedly though, my fighter soon began to rock as though we were hitting turbulence, which shouldn't normally be possible in space.

_"We're passing through the magnetic field,"_ came Red One's cautionary tone. _"Hold tight! We'll pass through in a moment. All fighters, switch your deflectors to double front."_

Again, I did as instructed. The 'turbulence' passed a few moments later as everyone's fighters steadied out. The Death Star was now filling my viewport and more details were becoming visible on the surface of the artificial moon.

_"Look at the size of that thing!"_ Red Two remarked.

_"Cut the chatter, Red Two,"_ Red One ordered. _"Accelerate to attack speed!"_

We dived towards the surface, pouring on the speed as we came into range of the Empire's initial welcome; a hail of turbolaser fire. I spun my X-wing into a roll as I began evasive maneuvers to dodge it. This was perhaps the most dangerous part of the operation aside from the trench run itself, but it was the one we were most prepared to deal with.

The rest of the squadron accelerated and dodged beside me. The formation loosened, but kept its cohesion. Then, in a preplanned maneuver, the formation split into fourths and took off onto different vectors. As expected, enemy fire split as the Death Star's defenses attempted to compensate. Our seemingly randomized maneuvers kept the targeting computers guessing long enough to reach the surface with our superior speed. With the curvature of the Death Star itself, coupled with the proximity to the defensive towers and their inability to fire when we were too close and fast to land a clean hit, we enjoyed an incredible level of relative safety, in spite of our proximity.

Still, it wasn't all fun and games. The defensive towers placed strategically across the surface were still entirely capable of firing on us and we had a difficult time destroying them if we didn't approach them at angles and speeds that made us more vulnerable.

_"I'm hit!"_ Red Seven called over the comms. _"Sensors out! I'm-"_

Red Seven's transmission cut off as his fighter disappeared from my scanner. I gritted my teeth in frustration. Red Eight had perished a minute ago and we were running out of time. In order to make our trench run, we had to get enough of these towers knocked down that the Y-wings could begin their own run without succumbing to enemy fire. We were making progress, just not fast enough.

_"Squad leaders, we've picked up a new group of signals,"_ Dodonna's voice came over the command channel. _"Enemy fighters are coming your way."_

I frowned, glancing around at my scanner and outside my cockpit.

_"My scope's negative, I don't see anything,"_ one of the other pilots announced.

_"Pick up your visual scanning,"_ Red Leader told them all. _"Here they come!"_

Cresting over the Death Star's artificial horizon, two whole squadrons of TIEs came at us. I could almost hear their famous scream as they closed in on us in their typical three fighter delta formations. While a TIE on its own was barely a threat to an experienced pilot that saw them coming, their coordination and tight formations made them deadly opponents for even the vaunted X-wings.

In a few moments, we were weaving and rolling as we maneuvered around the TIEs and did our best to get firing solutions on them. Soon, many of the TIEs had either been destroyed or had scattered their formations to chase us down independently. Wedge and I managed to wipe out a wing of the little bastards when my gaze caught something on my scanner.

"Biggs, you've picked one up on your tail, watch it!" Luke warned.

_"I can't see him!"_ Biggs exclaimed.

"Hold on, I'm on my way," I told him, swinging my fighter around for an intercept.

_"He's on me tight, I can't shake him!"_ Biggs stated. _"I can't shake him!"_

"Hang on Biggs, I'm coming up on him," I called, coming in fast and behind the pursuing TIE fighter. Biggs spun and rolled towards the surface, giving me a clear shot at the TIE chasing him. I opened fire, blasting away the TIE with a volly of fire the Imperial pilot couldn't hope to avoid. Debris fell, bouncing and scattering across the station's hull.

_"Thanks, Five,"_ Biggs said over comms.

"Anytime, Three," I assured him.

We swung around, heading back towards the designated engagement zone and where the main action was taking place. We knocked down several more turbolaser emplacements and knocked out a few ion cannons as well while we made continuous firing runs along the surface of the station. They made easy targets, given that their firing arc was much more narrow than the emplacements on the defensive towers.

Unfortunately, it didn't take long for me to become a target in turn.

_"Pull in, Luke! Pull in!"_ Biggs called.

_"Watch your back, Luke!"_ came Wedge's voice. _"Watch your back! Fighters coming in above you!"_

I pulled sharply away from the surface, the TIE that had decided to make me its new target was getting too close for comfort as I tried to lose him, pulling every trick I could think of. But this pilot seemed quite a bit better than his buddies that I'd encountered thus far. He stayed with me as I tried skimming the surface around the destroyed and still burning wreckage of one of the defensive towers.

The Force screamed out a warning to me as blasts of green energy shot just over my cockpit, sending me into another dive down and around his fire to escape being hit.

_'This is getting old,'_ I thought, gripping my control stick and trying to figure out a move to escape or gain the upper hand on this guy.

While I was fending off the tenacious TIE, the three Y-wings of Gold Squadron had already made their attack run and had failed to hit the exhaust shaft. They'd been finished off as the last surviving member had explained that they'd been snuck up upon by a wing of TIEs using the trench as cover.

Now, while battling waves of TIEs ourselves in the engagement zone above the trench, another wing had managed to sneak past us, despite our attempts to minimize such a thing from happening again. Red Leader had taken the last two X-wings other then myself, Wedge and Biggs and had started their own run down the trench. Now, we listened as they began to be picked off by what I was almost certain was Vader flying lead on his own wing of TIEs.

I wanted to scramble my group and get over there to help, but besides trying to pick them out of the trench itself, I knew that the minute I tried, I'd have TIEs chasing the rest of us and converging on the trench. We had to thin their numbers down a bit more before risk-

_"It's away!"_ Red Leader called victoriously, pulling me out of my train of thought.

An explosion erupted from the surface of the trench. Hull armor from the station melted and warped as the torpedoes blasted off several chunks of armor. Too heavy to escape the station's gravity, even under the force of the explosion, they tumbled slowly across the surface as the low surface gravity didn't allow the bigger pieces of debris to reach escape velocity.

"Red Leader, pull back around and rejoin the rest of us on our new vector," I told him. "I'll cover you while we line up for another run."

_"Stay right where you are,"_ he ordered. _"I've just lost my starboard engines."_

There was a pause as we all processed what he was saying. No starboard engines meant he'd lost half of his ability to accelerate, to turn...to outrun enemy fire.

_"Get set up for your attack run,"_ he commanded.

A moment later, my scanners caught another wing of TIEs sweeping through the course Red One was flying on. Watching them sweep in on different vectors, it was like watching the sharks close in for the kill. Dreis wouldn't make it. Too slow to avoid them or maneuver out of their range, he made an easy target for their firing pass.

Too far for us to respond.

Too slow to dodge.

There was nothing we could do to stop it.

His fighter disappeared from scans a moment later, only denoted in the real world by a quickly perishing ball of flame on the Death Star's surface that we could see in the distance.

Commander Garvin Dreis, Red One, was dead.

A wave of sadness hit me as I realized that the friendly commander was gone. He'd welcomed me with open arms and had been very fair and kind to me since we'd met. Now, he was gone.

I'd come up here hoping to compete the mission. I knew I could do it, I'd _trained_ _myself_ for it, and that confidence had led me to wanting to do it better than the old Luke had before me. I'd been powerless to stop the waves of TIEs or the turbolaser fire that was so thick, it looked like I could've walked on it. I'd weaved and dodged better than many of the more seasoned pilots out here, but I hadn't been able to do more than delay the inevitable or change its details. I was unable to do anything.

Except one thing. I could do _one thing_ and set all of this right. Make all of this worth it.

I steeled myself as my purpose became clear, my sense of resolve growing within me.

Let's blow this big bastard away.

"Reds Two and Three; saddle up," I ordered, yes _ordered_, the two more experienced pilots. "We're going in hard and fast and we're going to finish this mission. Wedge, take point and thin out that wing of TIEs coming up ahead of us. Biggs, cover him and mop up any of them that try to escape. Do _not_ let them get a chance to circle back around and follow me. I'm taking my run on the trench alone and need you to cover me. Accelerate to engagement."

_"We're on it, Five,"_ Wedge declared, accelerating after the TIEs.

_"Luke, at that speed and that close, will you have enough time to make the shot?"_ Biggs asked.

"Compared to Beggar's Canyon, this'll be a cakewalk," I told him.

My solution was, in theory, simple; I was going to enter the trench much earlier than was advised by the briefing and what should be too early for my targeting computer to hone in on the exhaust port. However, I wasn't going to use my targeting computer for this shot.

Good shot or no, I was basically going to be eyeballing a bullseye shot while travelling at the highest acceleration possible and without the use of my fighter's targeting computer.

In the vernacular of my generation; I'm about to do what's known as a pro gamer move.

"Artoo, I need you to divert all available power to the rear deflectors," I told him. "We might have company trying to sneak up on us while we make the run on the target."

[What about enemy fire from the front?] Artoo beeped.

"Let me worry about that," I told him. "Just trust me. I'm taking us in."

I didn't have the time to explain but I was going to be depending on the fact that the turbolasers along the trench would not only be too slow to get a lock on me, but that they'd stop firing once the other TIEs entered the trench and started pursuing me.

With the mission clock ticking down as the Death Star approached firing range of the moon, I dove my X-wing into the trench to make my solo run.

The dark shadows cast by the walls of the trench were unsettling to be submerged into. In space and without an atmosphere to cause light diffusion, the shadows had a strange and abrupt sharpness to them as they reflected off of the walls of the trench. Light didn't wrap around edges so much as it deflected off of them in sharp, crisp angles.

Green turbolaser fire rocked my fighter as I accelerated down the passage. My maneuvering was limited in such a confined space, but my speed kept any of the turbolaser batteries lined along the trench from making a target lock on me. This continued for nearly a full minute until suddenly and all at once, they stopped firing. An ominous peace settled over the trench as I immediately knew what it meant.

Vader's wing must be closing in on me.

But I was still closing in on the target.

Closing my eyes, I reached out through my connection to the Force. I felt the beginnings of what felt a lot like the beginning of a meditation trance as I slipped deeper into the feeling. Before getting too deep, I was interrupted by a voice over my comms.

_"Red Five, your targeting computer is off. Is it malfunctioning?"_ A voice from the control center on Yavin asked.

"Everything's fine," I told them. "Preparing to make my shot. I need to focus."

There were no objections over the comm to what I had said. Either they trusted that I had some sort of plan, or perhaps Kenobi was there and telling them to let me focus. I could imagine at least one person panicking that the 'new kid' didn't have a clue what he was doing.

Slipping back into my focus, I felt the Force wash through me. Like stepping under a waterfall, I felt the currents and waves of the universe around me as my mind processed the information I was feeling and made as much sense of it as it could.

_Feel for it..._

Vader was approaching from behind. He'd abandoned his two escorts, accelerating past their ability to keep up with him in order to reach me. This was likely only possible due to the far more powerful specifications in his TIE Advanced fighter.

I could sense him, but he could also sense me. His dark imprint in the Force was noticeable, even amidst the combat going on above us still or the dark nature of the Death Star itself. I could almost _see_ the evil that tainted it for what it had already been used for in its short life.

I sensed Vader's curiosity and surprise as he felt me through the Force. This was quickly replaced by malevolence as I sensed his determination. He wanted to kill me. No...he wanted to fight me. Not just for that trick I pulled in the hangar, but because he sensed I was a Jedi. All these years, and his anger still burned for the old order. Perhaps rekindled by his recent confrontation with Kenobi and myself...?

_Further out..._

More TIEs had been scrambled. A lot more. This wave included a few wings of interceptors as well as regular TIEs . At least four squadrons were sweeping over the artificial horizon of the station and were on an intercept with the trench.

Biggs and Wedge were still fighting desperately to keep the other TIEs off of my back. They were both excellent pilots and were doing extraordinarily well, but I could feel their hope waning as they knew time was running out.

The Death Star would soon be in range.

_Focus..._

The exhaust port was coming into range. I could see my awareness reach the target and suddenly, it was like watching lines slowly intersect on a math problem or on a computer program. I understood it completely and felt more than saw the intersecting lines and where I would have to be to fire.

_Just a little more..._

A warning echoed from behind me. Vader was closing in and was getting ready to fire. I felt a calm assurance as I also was aware that he wouldn't get his chance.

Red lances of fire came down from above, cutting over my head and at the TIE Advanced that Vader was flying. Vader, seemingly shocked by the sudden attack with his focus having been entirely on me, shot out of the trench barely in time to avoid the incoming fire.

A victorious whooping yell came over the comm as my savior let himself be known.

_"You're all clear, kid!"_ came Han's voice. _"Now, let's blow this thing and go home!"_

Smiling, I felt just what I was waiting for in the Force reach me. Like a ripple in a pond, it washed over my form and I _knew_ it.

My gaze sharpened as I felt the lines converge, giving me my opportunity.

I fired.

Not pausing to see the torpedoes go in, I yanked back hard on the control stick and pulled out of the trench. A residual wave of warning struck me as I sensed the Force practically shout that we were flying over what was now one giant bomb with a burning fuse.

I keyed up my comms to warn the others, not even caring about my volume as I practically shouted my warning to my allies.

"Everyone get the hell away from here! The station's going to blow! Maximum speed, move, move, move!"

I killed the transmission and directed my next words to Artoo as I ignored a passing TIE fighter, rocketing past it, and flew up and away from the station as fast as my fighter could take me. More fire came from the station's turbolasers as they were now able to target me again, but I ignored them too.

"Artoo, throw everything into the engines; we are _leaving_ this party!"

[On it! Get us out of here!] Artoo whistled back in a slightly shrill tone.

Power was diverted from the deflectors and weapons as Artoo powered the engines to their maximum. The inertial dampeners were strained to their maximum as I was compressed into my seat.

Warnings popped up on my control dash as the systems reached their limit and advised slowing down before I burned out any of the systems. I ignored them, trusting Artoo to keep things in check if he had to and also knowing I only needed to keep this up for a short time longer.

I caught sight of the _Millenium Falcon_ as Han and Chewie soared past me. Han wasn't kidding; that little freighter really was a speed demon when she had to be. I caught sight of Wedge and Biggs on my scanner, both accelerating just behind and alongside to me.

I spared a thought wondering how the explosion would look. How long would it take for those proton torpedoes to reach the bottom of the shaft before hitting the reactor? Hypermatter was damn volatile when detonated.

Were we still too close? Would the payload do enough damage to completely destroy the station or just damage it enough to shut it down?

My thoughts of 'what if?' were interrupted as the darkness of space was suddenly lit up as though someone had just turned on a spotlight behind us.

For an instant, it was as if a small star existed in orbit around the gas giant.

The light of the explosion dimmed and my fighter was rocked by the concussive waves coming out from blast. It was like riding a small boat on a choppy sea as I bounced in the cockpit. The only thing keeping me from bouncing out of my seat and hitting the canopy was my harness and crash webbing.

Cheers could be heard over the comms as I heard the victorious shouting coming from the control center back on Yavin. Biggs, Wedge, and even Han joined in on the laughing and cheering. I myself started laughing in relief as I felt the tension and adrenaline flow out of my.

_"Great shot, kid! That was one in a million!"_ Han called out.

I let out a long sigh of relief and leaned back in my cockpit seat. Laughter continued to spill out of me as I felt the immense relief run through me. This victory would be the first of many to come, but far from the most difficult to achieve. Nevertheless, I would relish this feeling for as long as it lasted.

Today, we had won.

**AN: And that wraps up the events of Episode IV! What did you guys think?**

**While the events of _Rogue One_ were pretty cool, I thought I'd swing events to include some of the other details of what happened with the Death Star. If you didn't care for Rogue One or wanted your own interpretation of canon events to be put in here, I left it kind of vague for now so that whichever version you're more comfortable with could be inserted. It doesn't really come into play much, so use whichever version of events you prefer. **

**We'll just leave it up to the imagination for now and I'll push on so we can get some more original content! Sound good?**

**If that attack Leia mentioned was unfamiliar to you, you should try looking up the details on Youtube or Wookieepedia. Basically, the Alliance sent a task force containing some capital ships and hundreds of fighters against the Death Star and they got their asses handed to them. It's an event that went a long ways to establish Tarkin's and the Empire's overconfidence in the station to overcome all but the greatest threats. I thought it made for a nice additional bit of lore that some ambitious Alliance admiral would make such an attack and pay the price.**

**How about that final assault? Sorry if the Death Star assault seemed a bit boring to some of you, but I tried to spice up the writing as much as I thought was reasonable. We've all seen that scene so many times and are familiar with the events, I tried to keep it interesting by changing stuff around a bit to reflect Luke's greater skill and awareness of things. **

**Looks like we'll also be keeping Biggs around...for now at least! I've got some ideas for how to use him and hope to get a bit more mileage out of his character than the original series did. And yes, he actually did call Luke 'Skyboy.' Kind of a callback to 'Skyguy,' right?**

**In the words of George Lucas, 'just like a poem, everything sort of rhymes.'**

**I've already made good progress on the next chapter while I worked through my writer's block with this one. Shouldn't be too long before the next chapter is up.**

**Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan written story. Star Wars or any of the associated properties mentioned in this story are all owned by Disney and their respective companies, authors and/or corporations. This is purely a work of fiction written for pleasure and nonprofit. Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Skywalker Resurgent Ch.7: That Is, Without A Doubt, The Worst Pirate I've Ever Seen**

The medal ceremony Leia and the Alliance leadership arranged for us was nice, if brief. The same could be said of the celebration afterwards. We all knew we had to hurry the hell up and start packing up since the Empire now knew we were here, but that didn't stop us from celebrating this tremendous victory. I guess the Alliance wanted to milk the hell out of this while they could and frankly, I didn't blame them one bit. While our losses were nothing to scoff at in what it took to acquire the information on the Death Star or in the first attempt to destroy the station, we had finally managed it with one oversized fighter squadron and excellent intel. Leia and Dodonna both had privately informed me that the Alliance was already planning on making a big deal of what I'd done and what they wanted for me to do next, assuming I didn't have any objections.

But that was all for later. Right now, it was time to grab everything and run. Watching the rebels in action while breaking down their base, I could tell that they were either well trained or just experienced in the act. They weren't going to even leave so much as a single light bulb behind once the Empire showed up.

The plans were already drawn up for who would be going where and Han had offered his ship to serve as another transport for evacuation. Although, he wanted to stipulate that his destination needed to be to Tatooine first in order to drop off his reward money to keep Jabba from putting a price on his head. No one objected to his desire to avoid a bounty placed with the authority of the Hutts behind it, as they all knew that those sorts of bounties attracted all kinds of unwanted interest from parties looking to gain even the most minor favor with the organization.

I'd offered to join him for the ride and even Leia had offered to come along, much to Han's hidden delight. Although she said that it was just good sense for the Alliance not to put all of their senior members on the same ships and splitting them up was a purely tactical move. Personally, I think she was also glad to come along with us. Maybe she was growing attached to us or just liked to stick with a wining team, but I was also happy to have her along.

There was someone who wouldn't be coming with us, however.

"They've asked me to travel separately with some of the other senior members of the Alliance Council," Kenobi informed me.

We had stopped to catch up with one another now that the ceremony was over and we got started on the evacuation. A number of transports were already away and more had shown up to speed things along. Wedge and Biggs had already taken off and my X-wing had already gone with one of the transports.

"I suppose it was expected that they'd want you to go with them when the time came," I admitted. "It just seems...more sudden than I'd have liked."

"Have you been told where you'll be going yet?" he asked.

I nodded. "They want me to meet up with a few fleet units at a deep space rallying point," I told him. "We're going to get lost for a few days aboard the _Falcon_ before meeting up there. Han's got to drop off that reward money before Jabba sends someone actually dangerous after him."

"Good," Kenobi nodded. "He'll be flying back to Tatooine on the way then?"

"Probably. Jabba's likely still there. Want me to pick up some blue milk for you?" I asked, laughing.

"I think I'll manage without," Kenobi informed me dryly. "But I can sense some turmoil in you still. What is troubling you?"

It was actually pretty hard to hide things from Kenobi. Our bond through the Force as master and apprentice was fairly strong by my understanding of such things. Standing right here in front of each other, there was no hiding strong feelings. Maybe I could hide something with practice or if I really tried, but it hadn't ever seemed necessary. I stopped pretending everything was fine in front of him and let my shoulders sag just a bit as I let out a breath.

"I just..." I began and trailed off. "They...promoted me to lieutenant. Wedge, Biggs and I are all the same rank now and there's talk of having one of us take command of the squadron and get promoted to commander. Once we reach the rendezvous, they'll sit down with all of us and discuss who's gonna lead it."

"It sounds exciting," Kenobi commented. "And like a tremendous honor."

"It is," I admitted. "And it was another one of those things I kind of expected given my... you know... but it still just seems so sudden."

"You're worried about commanding a squadron?" he asked me gently.

"I just don't feel like a leader," I admitted to him. "I did some fancy flying, made a shot, and saved the day, but I was a part of a group every step of the way that led us here. Now, these people expect me to be more than that. I don't feel ready to lead others into battle, even with all of my advantages."

"Do you think you should turn down the command?" Kenobi probed.

"Is it wrong of me to say that I somehow don't want to?" I asked in return, looking at him. "I know that the Alliance could really use me as more than just a propaganda piece and want to put me to work. Plus, I've got some other ideas I wanted to bring up than can make a difference and don't involve me taking on a squadron. I can fly and I can fight, but I don't know if I can lead. I think that's the hardest part for me; I don't _feel_ like a leader."

I just felt so conflicted over this. I could play at being the hero, but that was just the problem; I would know I would be playing at it. I didn't feel like the genuine leader or hero that these people seemed to expect of me. I had stepped up with ideas and a quick bit of action, but I don't feel like any of that was unique to me. Most of it in fact was based off of my advanced knowledge of how things worked in this galaxy as events written down in books and on the internet. It felt like anyone could have done what I did with my knowledge of events and personalities. There was only so much my foreknowledge could cover for or help me with here. Being a leader was so much more than just having to read a lot of books and comics.

Kenobi placed a hand on my shoulder before answering me.

"Luke, if you don't feel like you can trust yourself on this matter, then you can try trusting me instead," he began. "You are a remarkable young man. I've gotten to know you rather well over the last few years and I have never doubted that. Your peculiar knowledge may have granted you an edge, but it was _you_ who has acted upon it. _You_ are what is special, not the knowledge you carry."

"These people are going to be looking to me for inspiration," I replied quietly. "I don't know what to do, how to best answer them when they ask me for orders or guidance. How do I know if I'm doing it right? How can I be a leader to these people?"

"Then I suppose I shall offer you one last bit of master-like advice; If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are already a leader, Luke. Trust in yourself, trust in the Force, and I have no doubt that you'll lead us all to a better future."

I really didn't know what to say in response to that. Feeling myself getting a bit choked up, but not wanting to show it in front of Kenobi, I decided to keep it simple and wrap this up.

"May the Force be with you, Master Kenobi," I said.

"And may the Force be with you, Padawan Skywalker," Kenobi returned.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

"You've been awfully quiet," Han remarked.

I was broken out of my thoughts as I registered that Han's comment was directed at me. We had departed the base at Yavin and had plotted a somewhat roundabout course to Tatooine. I was reflecting on events and trying to figure out what my next big move should be and what events were likely to follow from the end of the events of Episode IV. Ripples had already begun to form, altering events in ways that had me thoughtful of my own impact on events.

Alderaan had undergone a cataclysmic event with the destruction of its moon, but even that wasn't necessarily as terrible as the whole planet being destroyed as it had been originally. Owen and Beru had been spared their deaths at the hands of stormtroopers by my early departure, I'd made an early impression on Vader by interfering in his duel with Kenobi, and had saved Kenobi in the process. Now, Biggs was still alive after our assault on the Death Star and we were on our way to pay off Han's debt to Jabba. There were a dozen things that may happen next and of varying levels of importance to my overall plans. I had to try and anticipate as much as I could and plan for the events that I could and couldn't influence.

My focus jumped back to the present as Han spoke to me.

"Just thinking," I told him. "Also kinda hoping that Kenobi's able to look after himself alright without me around."

"I think he's old enough to look out for himself," Han said dryly. "And isn't he the one who trained you? I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Sure, sure, I guess," I replied, distracted. "I suppose I just don't like the idea of not being around to watch his back. I had to pull his butt out of the fire just a few days ago and I guess that's left me feeling...protective."

"Aww," Leia cooed, reaching over from her seat to ruffle my hair. "It's sweet to see you so concerned for him. But I'm sure he'll manage until we see him again."

"Hey," I protested, leaning out of her reach and fixing my hair. "Can you blame me for being concerned? I get that Kenobi's a living legend and a war hero, but he's also the guy who trained me. I suppose I'm just...adapting to not having him around."

I wanted to kick myself for feeling like this just because I wasn't around Kenobi anymore. In the past, he was no more than a comlink call or a quick speeder ride away if I had a question or needed instruction on some aspect of my training. Now, he was much further and communications was trickier with both of us on the move and trying to keep our movements discreet.

Voicing my concerns aloud like this made me feel like a little kid. I guess I had gotten so used to having him close or easy to reach, if not at my side, that I was feeling a bit out of sorts. It was like leaving the farm and Tatooine behind all over again.

_'I suppose I'm really out on my own now,'_ I thought.

"Why do you call him by his last name?" Leia asked.

"Hm?" I said, turning my head to look at her.

"You always call him Kenobi," she explained. "You too are obviously pretty close, but I've never heard you refer to him by his first name. Why is that?"

"Ah," I let out. "That's...a bit of a story. Might take a minute to tell."

"We're not going anywhere," Han responded. "And I know Chewie's always up for a story."

Chewie barked a response to that.

"You are too," Han retorted. "I've seen those holodrama files you keep, don't pretend you don't have them."

Chewie yowled at Han in protest to his words.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Han waved a hand dismissively. "But go ahead, Luke. It'll help pass the time."

Memories came back to the forefront of my mind as we had been talking. Maybe they didn't need the whole story, but there was enough substance and enough fact to it without me giving anything away that may be awkward to explain.

"Well, if you're all going to insist," I sighed. "I suppose it started back on Tatooine. I was trying to get a grip on how meditation worked when the question of his alias came up..."

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_Years Ago..._

_We were making a journey into the Jundun Wastes today. Kenobi said he wanted me to meditate in a certain spot as it held some sort of better attunement to the Force than his own dwelling. Apparently, meditation in the right mindset was important enough to his training methods that he wanted to make sure I did it correctly, and this place would help me out as a beginner._

_As we walked, he told me about my father, about Anakin. The subject seemed painful at first but with a bit of encouragement, I got him to start talking about his earlier days as a padawan. Those times seemed safe enough to discuss and he seemed to take on a lighter, more nostalgic tone as he described those days._

_"Not surprising a nine-year-old wasn't the most patient," I commented._

_"I had no idea how to get him to learn," Kenobi sighed. "I spent my life in the temple. All of the younglings I'd interacted with had the same childhood I'd had. Anakin was different from all of them."_

_"Not surprising," I replied. "I mean, you knew what sort of life he'd come from. Frankly, it's remarkable he was as stable as he was. Most slave children don't have that innate sense of decency and innocence that he demonstrated. What was your solution?"_

_"I asked Master Yoda and some of the other senior instructors at the temple for advice," he admitted. "I felt so out of my depth. Anakin was unlike any they had taught before either. Being older, he grasped certain lessons better than any of his peers and yet somehow, struggled with the more basic instructions...questioning them._

_"Eventually, I realized that the best approach was to take a more...unorthodox view. I approached him more as a child than as a padawan. I had to describe to him how everything worked like I would if I was answering questions to someone who wasn't a part of our Order. Using this method, we made progress."_

_We made it to a large outcropping of rock. Worn down by the strength of two suns and millennia of wind and sand, its surface was smooth to the touch in many areas. Kenobi led me over to a relatively flat and level spot, which overlooked the endless deserts on the horizon._

_"So, we'll be taking a similar approach with my own instruction?" I asked, looking around._

_"Today, I want you to try to meditate," he answered. "Your knowledge of Force techniques is certainly impressive, but you've shown little to no practical knowledge until now. I want you to do your best to attempt to meditate. Even if you don't succeed, it'll give me an accurate idea of how to move forward with your lessons."_

_What followed was a fruitless hour or so of me attempting to meditate. It was a struggle. I was never much into the practice in my last life and I was starting to wish I had at least tried it at some point. After the first hour of me just sitting and nothing happening, I tried asking Kenobi for help._

_He was calm and patient as he explained it to me as best he could. His advice seemed good, but I was still struggling. Eventually, our conversation reached a point where he was describing getting in touch with one's identity. He phrased it that one couldn't reach a state of true meditation if they didn't have a strong sense of identity or 'self.' _

_Which brought me to an interesting question..._

_"You chose the name Ben when you went into hiding. Why was that?" I asked. Truly, I didn't know why he'd picked that name and had wondered if it had some sort of significance. None of the books I'd read had ever mentioned it and neither had the movies or shows. _

_"It...was for a personal reason," Kenobi tentatively explained._

_"Seemed kind of out of place," I remarked. "You chose a whole new first name, but kept your family name. Everyone in town seemed to know your last name was Kenobi while I was growing up."_

_Saying that made me also wonder why nobody thought to change my name at all when I was born. Seriously, who's bright idea was that? Questions for later..._

_"Hiding anything about yourself is difficult in a small community like the one around here," Kenobi sighed. "Originally, I never intended to have a last name. Fortunately, Kenobi is a common enough last name in the greater galaxy. 'Ben' was also an alias I used once or twice on undercover assignments. I'd never used it around your father, so I figured it was a safe one to continue using. It was a nickname from my days as a padawan, so it was easier for me to remember and answer to it."_

_"Qui-gon called you Ben?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "When and why did that ever happen?"_

_I honestly had no memory of ever hearing or reading about that._

_"No, Qui-gon never did," Kenobi corrected, now looking away from me. "It was...someone else."_

_His sudden reluctance to say that person's name, coupled with a question I had asked him before, made me conclude that it could have only been one person._

_"Satine," I said, more as a statement then as a question. "She called you that."_

_Kenobi's silence was enough of an answer for me._

_"I'm sorry," I told him honestly. "I didn't know."_

_"It's fine," he said gruffly. "It's just not something I'm accustomed to talking about."_

_There was a moment of awkward silence between us as neither of us felt like speaking. Eventually, Kenobi broke the silence._

_"It was a nickname she gave me," he stated. "I used it on several undercover operations after and during the war. Anakin... I never used it around him. So, when it was time for me to choose a new name, it was a safe and simple choice."_

_"And it's been 'Ben' ever since," I finished._

_"I haven't been Obi-Wan for the better part of two decades now," he mused. "But, we've gotten distracted. Getting back to your lesson..."_

_That day was a big step forward for me. Sitting on a rock in the middle of the desert, I made real progress bridging the gap between my fictional knowledge and the point where it becomes a reality. I also really felt like I got a bit closer to the real Kenobi out there. He was becoming less of a character or an icon and was much more human to me._

_When we were done and began our trip back, Kenobi and I chatted about other applications and benefits to meditation. Apart from being a great way to practice one's connection to the Force, it did wonders to calm the mind and help strengthen focus._

_I still remember Kenobi's words when I stood up after achieving my first successful meditative state._

_"You've taken your first steps into a much larger world."_

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

"He hadn't gone by his own name in almost two decades," I explained. "And knowing that the name 'Ben' was tied to his deceased love interest, I just didn't feel comfortable using it unless necessary. To me, his real name was still 'Kenobi,' even if he'd changed what went in front of it. So, I just kept the habit of calling him that."

"That's so sad," Leia remarked.

Chewie gave a soft yowl of agreement.

"Old guy's got some baggage in his past," Han chimed on. "Not surprising. Live long enough, it's pretty much inevitable."

Leia shot him a slightly contemptuous look at that.

"Your ability to empathize is unparalleled, Captain Solo," Leia snarked in response.

Trying to head off another bickering session, for my own sake as well as Chewie's, I jumped in to the conversation there.

"Can't say I disagree with the sentiment," I added. "But my takeaway from all of that was how strong his convictions are. It's almost unbelievable how strong he is as a person, and I think it's despite all that he's been through. Many lesser men have crumbled."

"How so?" Leia asked. I caught Han's eye as he turned in his seat and saw that he was interested too. Even Chewie looked interested to me, despite my ongoing inability to read his expressions.

"Well," I began, organizing my thoughts. "He was raised in the old Jedi Order. He had no parents, just teachers and older Jedi to look to. He's lost friends, his master-whom was the closest thing he had to a father-was killed in front of him, he fought through some of the harshest battles of the Clone Wars, and he lost all of the people closest to him whom he may have called family.

"Still, he never gave in to temptation. It would have been so easy to just quit, lose himself, or change who he is. He didn't though. In many ways, he's still that same idealist he started out as, if a bit more world weary and worn down by the sheer weight of it all. Many others, Jedi or not, have crumbled under such pressures. Have given into...let's call it their own personal demons."

Images flashed in my mind as I spoke;

An older version of me; alone, grayed, and beaten down by a universe that seemed determined to keep him there. Indifferent to the suffering of the galaxy around him while he wasted away on an island in the middle of nowhere...

A younger, yet hardened Dooku; fresh from a battlefield, seeing how he failed those he was responsible for and how his actions resulted in tragedy. How he lost himself to darkness while setting down that path with the best of intentions...

A young Anakin; suffering in silence and unable to talk to those closest to him about his fears, while his greatest crime was that he simply cared too much. How vulnerable he made himself... how easily tricked he was...

"It takes a lot of strength to persevere like that through adversity," I finished speaking. "It's easily his greatest attribute as a man, and as a jedi."

"You really have a lot of respect for him," Leia observed.

"Well, I'm just hoping that I can measure up when I inevitably end up picking up my own baggage," I replied, scratching the back of by neck.

Looking out of the cockpit window and into the dimension of hyperspace, I really hope that I did.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

The next day, I found myself sitting in the cockpit alone with Han while Chewie took a break for a meal. We chatted a bit about mostly inconsequential things until I took the opportunity to broach a topic that I'd been meaning to bring up ever since we left Yavin.

"Hey, you've spent a fair bit of time on Kessel over the last few years, right?" I asked.

"Some time, yeah," Han answered. "Spice runs for Jabba and such. Why do you ask?"

"Do you think you could get a hold of a list of prisoners they keep working in the mines?" I asked.

Turning away from the console and facing me, I could see my request had surprised Han a bit. "Why would you want that?" he asked.

"You remember me telling you that I knew a lot of weird and obscure things because I was Force sensitive?" I asked. Han nodded and I continued. "This is one of those things. There's actually two people I want to get out of there at the first opportunity."

"Uh, you sure it's a good idea to be fishing for prisoners there of all places?" Han asked me. "I've been there enough times to know that the nice prisoners usually don't get sent to the mines and the ones that do, don't last long with the company they're thrown in with."

He wasn't wrong. Kessel was the Empire's dirty little secret that wasn't so secret. The spice mines there were _technically_ a private business, but in reality is an Imperial operation. The mines are staffed by prisoners who were either political dissidents or had managed to piss off someone powerful. All mixed in with a healthy number of hardened criminals who were sold to Kessel to mine the valuable glitterstim spice and draw out their suffering more than life in a cozy cell would. One might even say that being sentenced to the mines of Kessel was an extended form of either torture or execution, given the expected lifespan of prisoners.

Of course, since Kessel was in the habit of _accepting_ prisoners for the right price, they were sometimes open to _releasing_ them for the right price too. The operation existed on the Outer Rim, where Imperial control was tenuous. So, the Empire cut a simple deal with the owners; so long as they got to operate their prison on the planet and got a nice little kickback from the operation, the Empire would turn a fairly blind eye to whatever else went on there. This included minimal oversight whenever prisoners were pressed into service as miners or 'suffered an accident' as a result of said mining.

"Trust me, these two are worth it," I told him seriously. "And if their chances of survival are low, then that's all the more incentive to hurry up and get them out. One of them is just a kid, Han. Isn't even a teenager yet. And the other is an old woman, who's suffered enough there as far as I'm concerned."

Han just stared at me after I elaborated on the people I wanted to rescue.

Finally, he just sighed. "Alright," he said. "I can put in a call to a guy or two I know and see what I can do. Shouldn't be too big of a request if I know who we're looking for. What are their names?"

"Well, I don't actually remember the old woman's name," I admitted. "And I don't think the kid will be sent there for at least several months..."

Han just gave me a _look_.

I held up my hands defensively.

"Hey, cut me some slack here," I said. "I never claimed to be omniscient. I'm bringing it up now because it's still important and for a good cause."

Dammit, it's not my fault I don't have access to any source books or to wookieepedia! I've done my best to write down everything on my secure datapad that I could remember, but I knew it couldn't be everything. If I did know everything, I'd know to only go after the old Jedi woman they had already imprisoned there and just go to whatever planet the kid was on before he got sent there. Except, I had absolutely no idea which of the thousands of inhabited planets in the galaxy he might be from, so that wasn't an option. I'm not an encyclopedia, dammit!

"Of course it's for a good cause," Han muttered. "It's always for a _good cause_."

I tried not to wince at the sarcasm in his voice. Maybe that was a poor choice of words on my part...?

"And how exactly do you expect to find two specific prisoners on the whole of Kessel?" he asked, still giving me a _look_. "Maybe something else you don't know is that there are _thousands_ of prisoners on that planet."

"The important thing is that you know _how_ to find specific prisoners and know how to get them out," I defended. "I've got the name of the kid at least. If I get a current list of prisoners, I can probably find the old woman too."

"And did you have an idea of how you were going to pay off the warden for their release?" Han asked. "Because don't look to me for a loan. Not that I don't like you kid, but all that cash in the back? That's gonna go bye-bye once we hit Tatooine. What doesn't go to Jabba is going into fixing up the _Falcon _so she can keep flying, so I'm not exactly flush after this run."

"I wouldn't ask that of you," I assured him. "I'll find the credits, somehow. There's still time. All I wanted to know is if it's possible."

Han sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Yes, it's possible," he said. "I've got a guy I can hit up for a copy of the list. I'll tell him you represent someone wealthy looking to settle a grudge with some old rivals, or something. Give me some time to send a message and-"

Before either of us could say anything else, we both lurched forward in our seats with a sudden and unexpected burst of deacceleration. The vortex of hyperspace disappeared and was replaced with normal stars again.

"What the hell was that?" I asked him, pushing myself off of the control panel.

"We've just dropped out of hyperspace!" Han exclaimed.

Chewie, ever the faithful First Mate, came running into the cockpit on the heel of those words. Anticipating what he was here for, I quickly slipped out of the copilot's chair and sat in the seat behind it. Chewie wasted no time checking instruments and taking in the situation.

He only had a few seconds to do this before the ship shuddered again in a motion that seemed familiar to one I'd experienced just a matter of days ago.

"We're caught in a tractor beam!" Han yelled. "Where in the hells did that even come from? This isn't anywhere near a hyperlane checkpoint!"

Looking out of the cockpit window, I saw what had snagged us and felt dread settle into my stomach.

A Venator-class Star Destroyer was just off to our port side and below us. It had snatched us with its tractor beam and had likely been the reason we were pulled out of hyperspace. It was pulling us in and towards the dorsal hangar doors, which had parted for us to be dragged in.

"Son of an ibbot!" I swore. "Where did that thing come from?"

Leia came running up to the cockpit a moment later.

"What's happened?" she demanded/asked.

"Pulled out of hyperspace by that warship out there," Han explained tersely. "I don't know where in the hells it came from, but they've just snared us in their tractor beam and are pulling us in. Even if I got us free, they've got fighter support ready to intercept us."

Han pointed to the sensor display to show what he meant. Several fighter-sized craft were circling the capital ship in a scattered patrol formation.

"Wait," I interrupted. "Is that even an Empire ship? Look at it's markings!"

Along the ship's hull was an unusual paint scheme. Unlike the uniform grey of Empire-era ships or even the red accents of the Republic-era, this ship had a solid, broad, black stripe painted down the center of hull leading to the command tower. The command tower itself was unmarked but the twin command bridges themselves were also painted black, seemingly parodying the flagship designs of the now defunct Republic Navy.

Further back by the rear 'wing' sections near the engines, some sort of modifications had been made that marked each wing with a small half-sphere that took up most of the surface, making the ship look rather tail-heavy. On the ship's mid-sections where the ship usually displayed its fleet affiliation, there was an insignia consisting of a black alien skull with a bloody red grin.

"I don't recognize the symbology," Leia said. "I don't think it's Imperial."

"You're right," Han said grimly. "That's not an Imperial ship. Look at the fighters."

Upon saying that, we were treated to the sight of a pair of Z-95 Headhunters streaking past us. Their presence alone was enough to rule out the idea of these guys being Imperials, since the Empire had ceased using anything other than their iconic TIE fighters and the various offshoots that model had provided. Z-95s, while considered an old design by many, were still common enough in the civilian market that many defense and military groups still purchased them. Performance wise, they still managed to stay competitive with newer designs. And so long as they were maintained by a decent mechanic, you could easily keep one flying for years without a serious overhaul. It's what made the model popular with Alliance cells that couldn't afford the more advanced and more expensive X-wing model.

"So, not Imperial," I stated. "Local forces then? Are we near any systems that boast a local defense fleet?"

"If they are, we're still far enough out from the Core that they might be friendly towards the Alliance," Leia added hopefully. "If so, we could perhaps talk our way out of this."

"No, that won't be an option here," Han stated firmly. "She's a pirate ship. And I recognize the symbol painted on her hull."

Turning to Han in surprise, Leia and I simply looked at Han and waited for him to elaborate on that surprising statement.

"It's a group backed by the Hutt Clans and Jabba in particular," Han explained. "I've... run in to them a few times between and during jobs for Jabba."

Leia had a look of distaste on her face at those words. "Friends of yours, then?"

"Not even close," Han grumbled. Even Chewie growled and nodded vigorously, backing up Han's words. "What I want to know is where they got their hands on a Venator and what it's doing this far out from Hutt space."

"What do you mean?" I asked. The Falcon was still slowly being pulled towards the hangar bay and I wanted all the information I could get before we greeted these guys.

"A heavily modified capital ship loaded for pirate operations. No doubt it preys on shipping and provides muscle for dealing with competitors to Jabba's operations," Han explained. "But the Hutts usually stick with their own ships and the older military surplus stuff for their private defense forces. I don't understand where this ship came from or why Jabba would allow his people to wander the hyperspace lanes like this in it!"

"Well, it should be fine, right?" I asked. "Aren't you one of Jabba's top smugglers? All you should have to do is tell them who you are and we can be on our way."

"I somehow doubt we're that lucky," Han ground out. "The guy who runs this operation..." Han trailed off.

Chewie let out a barking growl.

"Yeah, thanks for that," Han shot back at him. "It's a guy who goes by the name of Crimson Jack. Also called Redbeard. I hate the guy. He's a greedy bastard who has delusions of being a pirate king. It would seem that he's come a bit closer to that title if he's moved up from the pair of light cruisers he used to be in charge of."

Chewie gave another barking growl.

"Yes, other people do call him Redbeard!" Han retorted. "I've heard other people call him that, don't act like I'm the only one!"

I gave Han a flat look. Even with the apparent seriousness of the situation, I honestly couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Are you making this up?" I asked him. "You sound like you're making this up."

"I am not making this up!" he protested.

"Crimson Jack I could _maybe_ buy, but even that sounds ridiculous."

"I didn't name him! Don't look at me!"

"'Redbeard,' though? That has to be your idea of a joke."

"It's not! I-"

"HEY!" Leia interrupted us.

Broken out of our argument, we both turned to Leia, who was looking just a bit irate at the moment.

"Gentlebeings, I think we need to be focusing on the fact that we've just been captured by a _pirate ship_," She stated, slowly and firmly. "It would be so wonderful if you two could pay attention and focus. We need to act carefully, whatever we do."

Turning back to the viewport, I couldn't help but agree as the rogue warship now filled the exterior view, blocking out the stars with its massive frame.

I had a bad feeling about this.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

The Falcon was pulled into the ship and settled down onto an empty spot along the ship's central hangar section. Magnetic locks fastened the Falcon into place as the tractor beam projectors shut down.

The ship must've had a load of fighters and shuttles beyond the blue atmospheric shielding. At the back of the bay, I saw indistinct figures moving back and forth. I figured they must've been the ship's crew going about various tasks. However, approaching the _Falcon_ down the center of the bay was a group of clearly armed pirates coming to greet us.

"Han..." I said warningly.

"I know," Han replied calmly. "I see them. Relax, kid. They're not gonna do anything. You're all with me and I'm gonna make that very clear."

"But are they going to listen?" Leia asked.

"They wouldn't dare shoot," Han assured us. "We've just gotta put on a brave face and we'll walk out of this alright. Jack's a pain in the shebs, but he and I don't have any actual grudges. Hells, I actually think he likes me for some reason."

_"Exit your ship, Captain Solo!"_ Came a call over some kind of megaphone system they had. _"And tell everyone else on board to come out with you!"_

"Well, that's reassuring," I muttered. Turning to Leia, I asked, "You still have your blaster on you, right?"

"Of course," came her immediate reply.

"Just keep it cool and I'll talk us out of this," Han assured us. "Keep your real names to yourselves while you're at it."

"I'm putting my faith in you here, Han," I said. "But I'm also not going to relax completely around a bunch of pirates."

"Just keep it cool," Han insisted. "I've got this."

Walking ahead of us out of the cockpit, Leia and I followed behind him. I took a moment to poke my head into the lounge area and quickly inform R2 and 3PO of what was happening.

"Artoo, we'll need you to look after the ship while we sort this out, alright?" I informed him, hearing Han activating the Falcon's ramp behind me and hurrying this up. "I'm not sure how long this'll take or what may happen, so just stay alert."

Artoo gave a beep of affirmation that he'd look after the ship while we were gone, while Threepio simply muttered 'oh dear' several times at our new circumstances.

With that assurance given, I walked down the passageway of the ship just in time for walk down the ramp together, with Han in front. Stepping off the ship, I got a good look at the welcome wagon waiting for us a few steps from the base of the ramp. I had to struggle to keep my reaction controlled as I got a good look at them.

Fashion is a rather bizarre thing in the Star Wars Universe. Different cultures, species, and organizations boasted such a riot of strange clothing choices that it was hard to keep track of what was 'in' and 'out' of style any given day of the week. On Tatooine, fashions were simple and not too much attention seemed to be payed to such things when most of the locals had bigger concerns and the spacers coming in knew to dress appropriately for the climate or were just accustomed to practical garb.

These guys were wearing a wild assortment of colors and styles. Violet and tan, mixed with A few of them wouldn't look out of place in some of the old sci-fi comic art back on Earth such as Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon. Most of the clothing seemed skintight, as apparently that was an almost ubiquitous trend in this galaxy that refused to die, and all of it seemed to have some strange color and cut combination to it. One of the guards had a helmet with three long fins coming out of the top while two were wearing briefs that made them look like they hadn't bothered to put on pants today. There was even a guy with bits of incomplete clone trooper armor strapped to his body.

Aside from the ragtag mixture that made up the majority of the small group, there was one man who stood ahead of the gathering that appeared to be in charge...

Tall for a human, he stood at about seven feet and had a bulky frame with broad shoulders. He showed this off with a tight and sleeveless black tunic with steel-like bands that wrapped around his hard muscular arms. He wore equally black pants, skintight again, and black boots. And of course, he had a mane of thick red hair on his head and a matching beard that was gelled and styled into several hook-like points and reached as low as his collarbone.

The infamous 'Redbeard,' I presumed.

The man grinned, laughed and held his arms out wide as he did so.

"Han Solo!" the man cried out boisterously. His arms were held out as if he expected Han to hug him in greeting.

"Jack," Han responded in a neutral tone. Han made no move to hug the pirate, but did hold out his hand to shake. Crimson Jack ('S_eriously, what the hell is with these names?'_) didn't seem at all put off by this and flamboyantly clapped his hand against Han's for an enthusiastic shake. "You've certainly... _upgraded_... since we last met."

"You like her?" Jack asked, throwing his arms out as if to encompass the whole ship. "Welcome aboard the _Rigor Mortis_, the deadliest pirate ship in the Outer Rim territories!"

As he said this, the dorsal hangar doors, closed and let out a hiss as hydraulics sealed the heavy doors in place. As the hissing stopped, the blue atmospheric shielding that protected us from vacuum shut off, dimming the whole bay slightly as it no longer added to the illumination already in place. Funnily enough, I don't recall that being a feature I was familiar with for Venators. I supposed it was likely added by the pirates after they took control of it.

Looking around, I took notice of as much of the ship as I could. This was my first time being aboard an actual capital ship and I was completely fascinated with it, despite my disdain for the pirates I was now in company with. The long hangar bays with dozens of alcoves lining its sides were fascinating to look at.

Reminiscent of her days as a Clone Wars ship, several of the ships I spotted were also from that era. The bays immediately adjacent to us were sealed, likely a means of protecting equipment if they captured crew came out shooting, but I spotted a few LAAT dropships further down the bay.

"Small galaxy, isn't it?" he asked. "What are the odds I'd catch you and your furry friend in my net while out fishing?"

The hangar deck itself seemed busy in the sections we were in. There must've been about a hundred fightercraft and about a dozen shuttles along the side bays. Crewmen, but a surprisingly abundance of droids, scurried about between the fighters as they went about some unknown tasks.

Droids weren't typically abundant in many areas of the galaxy since the Clone Wars. A general distaste for them had developed in many cultures and saw a massive reduction in demand as well as where their presence was tolerated. Even on Tatooine, many bars or shops strictly forbade droids from entering for no other reason than old phobias and mistrust.

"These members of your crew?" Jack's question interrupted my observations. "What's your deal?"

Thinking quick, I kept an indifferent and disinterested look on my face as I jerked a thumb at Leia and spoke, "She's Bonnie."

I then pointed to myself with the same thumb. "I'm Clyde. That's all."

"Temporary associates," Han casually waved off. "Got a new job lined up and they're my contacts."

"Care to share?" Jack asked, looking over Leia and myself with a curious eye.

"Find your own job, Jack," Han said, stepping into his line of sight and blocking his gaze from Leia and I. His tone was still friendly, if firm. "I certainly don't come butting into your work."

"Oh, but you did!" Jack laughed, turning back to Han. "I couldn't believe it when my guys told me who we'd pulled out of hyperspace! Quite a coincidence, am I right?"

"Well, you prey on enough trade lanes, I suppose it's inevitable you'll run into someone you know eventually," Han remarked casually.

"Well, now that you're here," Jack said. "How's about a bit of refreshment? It's be bad manners for me not to offer you something after having interrupted your journey like this. Bring Chewbacca and your new friends too!"

"Jack, I really don't have the time," Han began to wave off the offer.

"Nonsense!" Jack insisted. "One drink, maybe a few more, and you'll be back in hyperspace in no time with a full belly and a good buzz on your brain! My people can even give that old clunker of yours a look over while you do."

Casting a look over his shoulder at us, I caught Leia giving him a firm shake of her head, indication 'no' was her answer. I just looked right back him, not making any moves but waiting for him to make a decision. If we were his 'associates' here, I didn't want to make anyone suspicious by acting too familiar or demanding of him.

"Alright then," Han caved. "One drink, then we leave. And that'll be a 'no' on having your people look over my ship. You know I don't like anyone else working on her except me and Chewie."

"Fine, fine," Jack said, throwing an arm around Han's shoulders and starting to lead him off down the hangar. "Let's go!"

The other pirates parted, allowing Chewie, Leia, and I to follow behind as Jack began talking Han's ear off.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

I was starting to wish that 'Crimson Jack' would just shut up already. He hadn't stopped talking about himself and his accomplishments since we left the hangar deck.

We were being escorted through the corridors of the ship to what Jack called his 'guest lounge.' Everywhere we went, we saw a mix of aesthetics that were definitely not a part of the ship's original design. Posters and even the occasional piece of graffiti covered some bulkheads. I imagine the reason the reason the floors were so clean of dust and grime was due to the numerous maintenance droids we saw as we stalked the halls.

That, and the slaves.

I felt a sense of shame and surprise that I didn't notice it earlier. While the pirates were a riot of color and styles with their clothing and demeanor, the slaves were easily identifiable by how plain they looked and their subdued postures. No slave collars like I might have expected, but that wasn't necessary in the Star Wars universe. I remember that subcutaneous bombs were usually implanted somewhere random in the slave's body and could be activated at the whim of the master via remote.

They usually wore plain jumpsuits and could be seen carrying something or walking with their heads bowed and eyes averting everyone they passed. And those were the ones I was less uncomfortable looking at. A few times while walking, I saw a human or alien man or woman wearing impractical and skimpy clothing. They were always in the company of one of the pirates in groups of one or two and few of them looked comfortable. More...resigned than anything else. I saw one young human man, shirtless and wearing a collar and leash and what was essentially just boyshorts with golden metal accents, being dragged harshly down the hallway by the woman he was with. I could feel the fear coming off of him in waves as he walked/stumbled along. The she-pirate shoved him hard into one of the rooms we passed and I heard her cackle in laughter as the door closed behind them.

Disgust welled up inside of me as we just kept walking, Jack prattling on about how he once ambushed an Imperial outpost and took on twenty stormtroopers singlehandedly.

Mercifully, we reached our destination a few moments later.

The 'guest quarters' looked like a luxurious hotel lobby with a few traces of a nightclub mixed in. If I wasn't feeling so generous, I'd have said they'd resembled the inside of a brothel. Lavish fabrics hung from every wall, only parted to show artworks that had been put up. Not being much of an expert on artwork, I couldn't tell their value but just assumed they were expensive by the tone of the room. Although, some of them looked a bit bizarre for my tastes and were likely not made for humans.

Low couches and armchairs decorated the room with an emphasis on a round wooden table in the center of the room. The table looked heavy and was also probably some absurdly expensive item, but it was nothing compared to the ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling above it. Finely cut crystals reflected the artificial light of the room as I contemplated how ridiculously expensive this whole setup was. Jack must really think of himself as some kind of pirate king if he decorates his ship like it's a luxury liner.

Jack gestured us to the seats around us as he waited for us to take ours before seating himself.

"So, what do you think of my flagship?" he asked. "Quite a beauty, isn't she?"

"I suppose," Han said. "Not many folks flying Venators these days. You steal her from a boneyard somewhere?"

"Recovered her from a forgotten battlefield!" he declared proudly. "She was left drifting, all hands either dead or gone and her reactor shut down. Had a pretty nasty hit to her main engine block too. My crew was ready to strip her of anything not nailed down, but I knew an opportunity when I saw one! With some generous backing from Jabba and the use of one of the Clans' shipyards, we got her fixed up and refitted to suit our needs! Now, I'll wager she's one of the deadliest vessels in the Outer Rim!"

In the back of my own mind, I cursed whomever was dumb enough and irresponsible enough to allow even the wreck of a Venator to be left drifting for some scumbag to find. I imagine more than a few people have shared my thoughts on that matter after having an encounter with this ship.

"Where'd you get the parts for that interdictor?" Han asked, bringing up a topic I had been curious about as well. "Venators never had those."

"Part of the modifications I had done!" Jack laughed. "I asked and Jabba procured it! _Rigor Mortis_ has an overpowered reactor, like the rest of the ships in her class. Take out a bunch of that space originally used for transporting clone divisions and there's plenty of room!"

As we took our seats along one of the couches, Jack made a show of clapping his hands twice and looking towards one of the side doors to the room. A handful of seconds later, a young blue skinned twi'lek girl emerged holding a tray loaded down with identical silver cups decorated with engravings. The only cup not identical to the rest was one that seemed to be made out of bone. After a moment of closer examination, I saw that it wasn't exactly bone, but the severed horn of some large beast that had been turned into a cup.

No surprise, that particular cup belonged to Jack.

The rest of us took a cup off of the tray, even if we didn't actually drink from it. I know that I did it because I figured it'd be strange and draw attention to myself if I didn't

Han, Chewie, and Jack seemed to have no such concerns and all drank from their cups. Han and Chewie only took small sips before putting theirs aside while Jack drained most of his in one go.

"Han, what do I have to ply you with to get you to come work for me?" Jack asked. "Look around you! Smuggling never treats you as well as I can! You'd get to be a part of something _far_ more profitable than simple errand jobs!"

"Sorry, Jack," Han said, not sounding sorry at all. "That's not my style. The answer's still no."

"Ahh," Jack lamented aloud. "I offer you fame and fortune, and yet you always turn me down. What do I have to offer you, Solo? What's your price?"

"Nothing," Han said with a wry smirk. "You could offer me your ship and I'd still turn you down. Like I said; piracy ain't my style."

"Well, you're certainly not getting my ship!" Jack declared, laughing but shaking his head as well. He seemed to then down the rest of his drink before letting out a quick belch and lamenting. "Such a waste of good talent! I'll get you one of these days, Solo!"

"Sure you will, Jack," Han assured him. "Now, not that this hasn't been nice, but Jabba's expecting me to make a delivery for him soon. What do I gotta say so that we can wrap this up and be on with our business?"

"By 'delivery,' you of course mean, 'pay off that _debt_ you owe him,'" Jack pointed out, peering into his now empty cup.

"For a simple misunderstanding," Han retorted. "Ain't my fault that patrol ship was waiting for me. Could've happened to anybody. Even you can't be lucky all the time."

"One doesn't have to always be lucky when they've got the power to get themselves out of any trouble," Jack said, grandly waving his empty hand as though gesturing the the entire ship we were on.

"If you say so," Han waved off. "But I gotta go. And my friends do too. They're paying me for passage and I gotta meet my end of the deal."

Sighing loudly as though he was faced with some great burden, Jack finally put down his large drinking horn and met Han's gaze.

"You see, Solo," Jack began. "You're not the only one who answers to Jabba. We have to pay our tithes to him too. The _Rigor Mortis_ was a serious investment on Jabba's part and he needs to see a satisfying return from us. And it's not like every ship is carrying much hard currency. The pirate business can be pretty slow when you're not hitting enough trading ships, y'know. That is, unless it's someone like you, who is caught flying right into our hangar with more than twenty-five thousand credits aboard, all neatly arranged in lock boxes and in non-traceable credit chits."

"You searched my ship!?" Han exclaimed more than demanded, as though the idea of it happening was offense enough. "You boarded my ship and went sniffing for credits!?"

I caught on to what Jack was implying right away and resisted my own impulse to jump in to this argument. I know that I was outraged that Han had been taken advantage of like this, so I could only just imagine how he felt about it himself.

"It's nothing personal, Solo," he said. "But your debts aren't my problem. This was just bad luck for you."

"That money is meant for Jabba!" Han argued still. "You steal from me, you're stealing from him!"

"That's one way of looking at it, I suppose," Jack replied. "Another is that I take your money, your ship, and your companions can either try to negotiate their way out of this. Otherwise, I check to see if there's any bounties on them worth cashing in on."

I saw Han bite back a retort at the threat and I felt my own temper rise at the implication.

"Then again," he continued. "One of my officers is a Trandoshan that has family in the slave trade. I'm sure I could ask him to make a call to one of his cousins and-"

"You've made your point, Jack," Han growled at him, cutting him off. Chewie was actually growling and Leia looked ready to spit fire at the pirate captain. I myself was feeling tempted to reach for a weapon and put this scumbag in his place, before I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and think.

"I'm just sayin', Solo!" Jack pointed out, acting innocent. "I ain't gotta be so nice. You're getting off pretty easy, considering. It's because I like ya so much! Other folks wouldn't get treated so nice!"

"Fine... keep the damn credits," Han continued, still clearly pissed off. "I'll make it back some other way."

"Good!" Jack replied boisterously, clapping his hands together once. "It's not so bad, Han! This is just how the game goes sometimes! You still have plenty of time to make back the credits before Jabba gets serious and sends someone after you."

The servant girl from earlier reentered the room with a large jug and Jack apparently decided to wrap this up.

"But there's no hard feelings here!" Jack laughed, reaching and taking the first refill for himself. "You just got unlucky is all! Have a drink, relax, and you're welcome to depart whenever you'd like!"

"I think I'll pass on that drink," I said as the servant girl offered a heavy looking jug up to me and I just crossed my arms. She looked fearful for a moment at my rejection, but moved over to Han next.

"I think we'll all be passing on any more of your hospitality at this point, Jack," Han said, still clearly furious.

Chewie growled and nodded his agreement, while Leia's expression was apparently enough to deter the server from even trying to offer anything to her. Fearfully, the servant girl turned in place and glanced between all of us. Eventually, the girl turned to look back at Jack. Jack just grunted and waved his hand dismissively at the girl.

The girl walked hurriedly back out the door, careful with the still heavily loaded jug in her hands. Her rush and load apparently didn't prevent the guard at the door from taking advantage of her distraction and quickly reaching out a hand to make a grab at her butt.

The _very young_ girl let out a terrified squeak as she nearly dropped the still heavy container. She managed to recover and scampered out of the room at a much faster pace than before, much to the apparent amusement of the guard who'd grabbed her.

As I sat there, feeling the anger and resentment build up inside of me at the smug and superior attitude of these pirates, I felt the beginnings of a plan forming in the recesses of my mind.

Jack made some further inane comments, but I wasn't paying the least bit of attention at this point. Instead, my gaze was fixed onto the woman who'd been introduced as Jack's top pilot. The woman herself hadn't done much else than scowl at us all, which was an irony when one learned that her name was Jolli (as in 'have a holly, jolly, christmas'). However, it was her status as Jack's top pilot and apparently favored lieutenant that got her my attention now.

Slowly, carefully, I stretched out with the Force. I reached out with my mind, an invisible tendril of thought and feeling stretching between myself and the pirate woman. Her mind wasn't exactly weak, quite the opposite in fact, but she wasn't immune to a bit of influencing. Time to put those lessons to good use...

_Not a command...but an idea...a suggestion...a passing thought..._

Jack was still rambling about himself and his operations to Han and Chewie, neither of whom looked the least bit interested. He was making another offer to Han to have him come work for him, which Han clearly wasn't going to take but was stuck listening to anyway.

_'Perfect timing,'_ I thought.

"That little ship of yours has all kinds of features that'd make her a boon to an operation like mine. You-"

"If it's all the same to our esteemed host," I interjected, keeping my expression straight and my true feelings to myself. "This conversation has nothing to do with either my associate or myself. We will both return to the ship and ensure our baggage and our droids were not disturbed."

Jack barely looked at me before taking another gulp of his drink and waving me off dismissively.

"Fine, fine," Jack waved off. "One of my guards will walk you back."

"I'll take care of it, sir," Jolli spoke up. "Don't want the pretty boy and his gal pal _getting lost _on the way to the hangar, now do we?"

Jack chuckled at the menacing tone his subordinate took when she spoke.

"No, certainly not," Jack agreed, turning back to talk to Han and Chewie.

"Captain Solo, we'll see you when you're done here," I informed him, walking for the door. Leia followed behind me, her temper flaring still at this whole situation.

I didn't catch the expression on Han or Chewie's faces, but I didn't want to break from his provided cover more than I already had. A dissatisfied and annoyed associate wouldn't care so much and would just want to move this along...which is exactly the image I was going for here.

As we walked back to the hangar deck in the company of the pirate woman, the people we passed on the way all have us a wide berth. Not as wide as the one they'd given us when we were with Jack, but enough to confirm for me that this Jolli woman was someone with a reputation around here to be feared. Meaning, she was one of the more senior of the pirates and not just a regular flunky.

_'Perfect,'_ I thought to myself. _'Let's turn on that Skywalker charm...'_

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

It was a quiet and tense departure from the _Rigor Mortis_. Part of me still suspected that Jack wouldn't let us go or would shoot us down as we left the hangar. Han seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he told Chewie to keep an eye on the scanners and to be ready to make a run for it if it turned out that Jack had a change of heart.

But no attack ever came. The repainted Venator stayed right where she was; parked in the hyperlane and waiting to grab any more unwary freighters coming their way. Any ship falling into the range of that gravity well generator would be stopped, seized, and either destroyed or have their ships taken and looted by the pirate 'lord.' The especially unlucky might not be allowed to leave if what Jack said about being linked to Trandoshan slavers wasn't just a bluff...

The thought angered me again, but not as much before. No, this time I had the comfort of the plan that had taken root in my mind. Any anger I felt was quickly dissipated or redirected to working out the details.

Han was getting us back on course as he powered up the hyperdrive with a sour expression on his face. He had muttered a brief apology to Leia and I before he stomped up to the cockpit and got us back into space. Leia and I hadn't said anything else, and really, what could we have said?

'Sorry you lost your money?'

'Sorry that Jabba is likely going to put a bounty out on your head?'

'Sorry we had to see that part of your life?'

Han was angry and I didn't need Force powers to determine that. We'd been threatened and humiliated by that pirate, but at least we were all okay. We might've been captured if Han hadn't been the one flying us out here, but then, we probably wouldn't have run into Jack if Han hadn't offered to fly us out here in the first place.

"Luke?" Leia asked suddenly. "What are you planning?"

I turned to her, a bit surprised. "What?"

"You've been staring off into space ever since we left the _Rigor Mortis,_" she explained, shooting me a determined look. "You haven't explained a word about what that thing was with that pirate woman back there and just now, I noticed you smile. What's going on?"

I let my smile break out across my face fully. I wondered if there may have been a slightly cold or even bloodthirsty quality to it as I answered her.

"I think I just found my first mission as a member of the Alliance."

**AN: Before you berate me, let me explain.**

**It's never fully fleshed out to me why Han didn't pay off his debt to Jabba after Episode IV. We see him get paid, the books even say it'll be enough to pay off his debt, so why couldn't Han take a week off of helping the Alliance to make a quick trip to Tatooine, pay his debt, and get himself free and clear? I'd think the Alliance would understand that he had to get a bounty off of his head. Without something having taken place that maybe I just haven't heard of, this is a serious plot hole to me. There was another, more recent comic that tried to fill in the hole but it just seems weird to me that it's never given lip service anywhere else.**

**Believe it or not, Crimson Jack is an actual Star Wars character and Han actually calls him Redbeard. Old-school comics are _weird_. I took some artistic licensing with the character and some of the story details, but a lot of this is Legends canon. I suggest googling 'Star Wars Crimson Jack' to see the craziness firsthand. Not only is Leia asian all of a sudden, but Jolli is a man-hating, cast iron bitch that also can't get past the idea of kissing Han when Leia mentions the idea.**

** I'm sure Ron L. Hubbard would be proud.**

**Thoughts on the Kenobi/Luke bonding moment? So far as I know, that's the actual origin of his name so far as source books and wikis can tell me. I didn't want to overdo it with the emotions and I didn't want to make it seem like I was spilling all of the guy's secrets behind his back, but what do you guys think? Let me know in the reviews!**

**I'm sure some of you have already guessed who I was alluding to with that conversation mid-chapter with Han. All I'm going to say is don't get carried away with the hate/excitement for where you think this is going. As I've said in earlier author's notes, I'm playing a little fast and loose with timelines to make a better story. As much as we all love Legends, I think we can agree that the timeline is a bit of a mess. I'd never be able to catch everything and mention every story packed between the films without doubling back and still explaining everything a year from now. We'll still hit all the high notes, I promise.**

**This chapter ended up being _way_ longer than I intended. I'll be trying to cut down on the unnecessary stuff and make things a little more story driven. There was another sequence where Luke interrogated Jolli, but I decided to scrap it for the sake of brevity. **

**Maybe I'll throw some stuff into snippets and add some fun stuff there and at the end of chapters, but definitely expect there to be timeskips between missions and individual adventures. We'll have at least a few more chapters before we get to the events of Episode V.**

**TBH, this really doesn't feel like my strongest work. But, I didn't want to cast it aside with so much already done and because of the elements it'll be introducing later on. I might make some revisions later on, but I wanted to hurry up and get this chapter out. Especially since I know a lot of folks are still bummed by this pandemic bullshit.**

**Until next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan written story. Star Wars or any of the associated properties mentioned in this story are all owned by Disney and their respective companies, authors and/or corporations. This is purely a work of fiction written for pleasure and nonprofit. Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Skywalker: Resurgent Ch.8: "This Will be the Day I Always Remember..."**

We made good time to the rendezvous, given that we no longer had reason to stop at Tatooine. Upon our arrival, we got our first look at the 'Alliance Fleet.'

Ragtag is an apt descriptor when looking at them upon approach. Four Nebulon-B frigates, two Quasar carriers, one battered looking Carrack and two Corellian Corvettes. All told, this group wasn't a particularly powerful example of the Alliance's fleet power, but I knew that the Alliance didn't keep their ships in large groupings to avoid drawing too much attention.

Still, I wasn't discouraged by the lack of heavier capital ships. The Mon Calamari had only been on board with the Alliance for a year, give or take, and hadn't had the opportunity to commit their famous capital ships to the fight yet. Until then, the Alliance had to specialize in more atypical types of warfare. They learned to make the most of what they had to achieve the greatest results.

Now, if only I could get the obstinate prick of a commander on board with my plan, we could already be assembling our forces for such a strike.

Unfortunately, this guy was a Grade-A Asshole.

"Absolutely out of the question," he said, leaning back in his chair and tapping something on his datapad.

"We can take them down with minimal commitment in terms of men and supplies, I'm certain of it," I insisted. "We've got an opportunity to take them down and spare shipping in this sector millions of credits in piracy losses. Plus the PR victory that would bring the Alliance. Not to mention it would strike a blow to a criminal enterprise that deals in slavery and with the Hutts."

We were sitting in the briefing room of one of the Nebulon-B frigates. Leia, being as awesome as she was, had arranged for a meeting less than an hour after we came aboard. I was stoked, thinking that one of the biggest hurdles of my plan was already behind me.

Imagine my dismay when I got to meet the illustrious Commander Obular Pye'ke. He was a human male of approximately fifty standard years and was recruited due to his experience serving in the Clone Wars... with the Separatists. He was one of a large number of such individuals who had fallen in with the Alliance in the wake of the Empire coming into power. He was the nominal commander of this fleet group and the most senior of the ship captains present. My understanding of rank structure wasn't as great as it could be but I knew that commanders outranked captains around here. Even naval ones.

Regrettably, Commander Pye'ke was thoroughly dismissive of my proposal. About halfway through my explanation, he'd picked up his datapad and began tapping away at it. At first, I was trying to be understanding of the fact that he was certainly a busy man and had several ships and crews to look after. After a few minutes of this, I realized that he had already made up his mind and wasn't bothering to pretend to be giving me his full attention.

"'Minimal commitment,' you call it?" he snorted in derision. "I understand how new you are so I'll explain some things to you, young man. What you're asking for is for us to give up valuable transport ships, an indeterminate number of soldiers, but I'll just estimate it's somewhere near battalion-level strength, and all the material needed to take down one lousy pirate and his crew of degenerates. That is not a 'minimal commitment,' Lieutenant Skywalker. That is a significant investment for an operation which does very little to further our main objectives. Request, _denied_."

I was about to say something particularly unkind to the commander, who was s_till not looking at me while he was speaking_, when I felt a hand touch my shoulder.

Looking over, I saw that Leia was giving me a look that said 'drop it.' I was ready to ignore her, if it weren't for the fact that I remembered that Leia was my ally here. I'd already explained the plan to her on the way here and knew she was willing to back me up. I might've thought she was backing out on me if I didn't already think I knew her fairly well. She wanted me to back down because she wanted to try something else.

Still, it took a lot of self control to swallow my feelings for this pompous ass as I turned to look back at him. I doubt he even noticed the byplay, given that he still wasn't even looking at me and continued to tap away at the pad in his hands.

"Thank you for your time, commander," Leia addressed him formally. She stood up and tapped my arm to signal me to do the same.

Pye'ke, apparently realizing that a senior member of the Alliance was talking to him now, decided to put down his work and stood to respond just as formally.

"Of course, your highness. Please let me know if there is anything else you require of me."

The door hissed shut behind us and Leia set us both walking down the corridor at a quick pace.

"That sanctimonious, arrogant, son of a-"

"Luke, relax!" Leia ordered firmly. "I get why you're mad, but you're not gonna get your way by insulting the commander of this fleet group."

"I wasn't getting my way by appealing to his sense of decency either," I responded, letting out an angry huff as I settled down a bit. Kenobi was always on my case about controlling my temper in certain scenarios and I could imagine him doing so again right now, if he were here. As angry as I felt at the obstinate bastard, it wasn't like I intended to actually harm him, or anything of the sort.

"Is there a reason you couldn't just order him to cooperate?" I asked.

I was under the impression that Leia was a high ranking member of the Alliance, at least in her father's stead. Was that not the case yet or did she need to be confirmed, or something?

"That's not how it works, Luke," Leia sighed. "It's politics. I can't just unilaterally order Alliance forces to action on my own if they don't want to render aid."

"You'd think someone willing to rebel against his government's immoral and unjust practices wouldn't be so obstinate about helping others," I grumbled.

"Trust me on this, Luke," she replied. "You might be a hotshot pilot, but I'm a hotshot politician. Give me some time- say, an hour. Two at the most-and I'll work something up."

I turned to her with a look of surprise.

"What's your plan?" I asked.

"Just let me work," she told me. "I've got to check on who else has arrived or who I can communicate with right now. It'll take some time."

We paused at an intersection in the passageway and she turned to face me fully.

"In the meantime, I just need you to wait somewhere I can find you," she said pointing to the passage behind me. "The ship's wardroom should be that way. Wait for me there."

"What, you don't want me to come with you?" I asked.

"I'll do better on my own," she replied. "Besides, you're not exactly subtle. I want to handle this discreetly so Commander Pye'ke can't try to interfere."

"I can be discreet," I protested. "I found you and the droids on Tatooine, didn't I? I wore a disguise and everything!"

"Sure you did," she agreed airily. "Until I got the drop on you behind that sandcrawler..."

"You got lucky," I interrupted. "_And_ I was looking for you. Finding you was actually my goal the whole time. Mission accomplished."

"You were looking for the _droids_," she emphasized. "And the very next day, you got into a fight in that cantina."

"That guy picked a fight with _me_, not the other way around," I defended. "And they ganged up on me. Besides, he was a wanted man. He said so himself! That's got to be like a freebie, or something."

"Like I said," she went on, acting like I hadn't just made some very valid points. "I'll handle this alone. You head on over to the wardroom and I'll meet you there in a little while."

I felt a bit like a kid with how she was basically telling me to go and wait for her while she did the actual work. In the end, simple logic won and helped soothe my stung pride. She really was the expert in this scenario, which was an ironic reversal of our first encounter on Tatooine. She was my friend and my ally here and I should listen when she says I need to do something. Still...

"I'm going to update Han and Chewie on what's going on first," I said. "And I'll meet you in the wardroom later."

"Good call," Leia replied. "Don't get lost on your way back from the hangar."

She had already started walking away, so she didn't see the indignant look I was giving her at that last remark.

"I won't!" I called back.

Oh yeah, I'm really showing her I'm not someone to be pushed around.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

The Nebulon we were on actually had a nice little wardroom for officers to sit in. It had all the makings of a nice little lounge area with an attached kitchen. I paid no attention to the decorations or plaques hanging on the wall that denoted the ship's namesake and history. I hadn't even bothered to remember the name of the ship as I was too busy focusing on the task at hand to really care. I just confiscated a small booth in the back of the wardroom and made myself comfortable while I waited.

Han and Chewie were back doing maintenance on the Falcon. Both of them told me not to worry about it when I reported to them of my failed attempt to get assistance for my plan. I could tell that neither held it against me and were glad that I'd just made the attempt but I still felt like I was letting them down somehow. I didn't even have it in me to renew my promise to help them, as I told them I'd simply check in with them later once I knew something else.

Since then, I'd been 'cooling my heels' as it were, in the wardroom. After relaxing here for a short time, I had mellowed out considerably. It was amazing what a tall glass of water can do for the disposition of someone who's spent considerable time on a desert planet.

It was only about an hour later that the door opened and Leia strode in. Behind her, I was rather surprised to see General Dodonna was with her. They both made a beeline for my booth and I rose to greet them.

"General," I greeted respectfully, standing up. Dodonna had impressed me back on Yavin and had struck me as a fine officer, even aside from his accomplishments that I already knew about. I was genuinely glad to see that he had rendezvoused with us.

"As you were, Skywalker," Dodonna said, waving me back to my seat. "I've been speaking with her highness and she's told me that you seem to be facing something of a problem."

"Jan arrived yesterday," Leia explained quickly, sliding gracefully into a seat across from me. "I asked him to come here because I think he can help us."

"Really?" I asked, intrigued.

"There's an inescapable aspect of life in any military organization, Skywalker," the general explained, taking another seat across from me. "It's politics. I might say it's even worse in the Alliance some days due to the fact that it's command structure is so broken up. We function as a semi-cohesive unit, but we also have a price to pay by bringing aboard so many disparate resistance groups. And it's unavoidable that many of them were affiliated with the former CIS."

"I'm surprised anyone who used to be a part of the Separatists would be a member of the 'Alliance to Restore the Republic,'" I remarked. "Even after all this time since their defeat."

"It's not like they had many options," Leia chimed in. "A lot of the die hard supporters of the movement were either captured or killed in the early years of the Empire. Most of the rest were cowed into submission when the Emperor made it clear that further resistance to the New Order would not be tolerated. Those who we picked up are mostly the junior officers who were unimportant enough to escape notice or their descendants who were raised on the same beliefs of their forebearers, but hate the Empire more because it's all they've ever really had to look at or because they simply view it as the Republic's successor state."

"Regretfully," Dodonna continued. "We had to decentralize a lot of our assets and command authority if we wanted to get everyone on board. One of the biggest stipulations the former CIS members had was to have more autonomy than a typical military would tolerate. Admittedly, it also helped bring on a lot of other, former Republic groups and let us train them and consolidate more of our civilian and military assets. The price was the formation of some regrettably factionalized portions of our military forces.

"Commander Pye'ke," he spoke the same with some distaste in his voice. "For the most part, has authority to do with his fleet forces as he sees fit. It would take an order verified from the Command Council to get him into action, so long as he's determined not to render assistance."

"That's a hell of a way to run a military," I said, exasperated. "I may not be an expert but now I'm wondering how anything gets done if your own officers can refuse orders like that."

Dodonna shrugged helplessly. "Technically, we're not a military," he explained. "We have a civilian run government, as ramshackle as it is some days. While Pye'ke would have to accept orders from an Alliance admiral, I'm a general. My authority in matters of naval combat are nebulous to say the least, regardless of my current position on the Command Council."

"It's not perfect," Leia admitted. "But it's the best we've been able to organize under the Empire's watch. Decentralization makes us inefficient some days, but it ensures safety for the movement as a whole. Even on worlds that are fully on board with us, we can't afford to draw too much attention by declaring that to be the case. Almost all of them would be vulnerable to a full Imperial assault if they did so and we couldn't hope to hold out forever against that kind of concentrated firepower, even if we made a stand with everything we had."

"As her highness says," Dodonna added. "It's not perfect. But it's how we've had to adapt to stay alive."

I sighed.

I understood their reasoning and their explanation just fine. That didn't mean I had to like what it meant.

"So what I'm hearing here is that I've got no options at all?" I asked.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Dodonna explained, leaning in. "While I can't order around the ships in this group without cause, that doesn't mean I don't have authority to organize a strike force with the troops aboard these ships and any others that may make their way here soon."

I sat up, now much more eager.

"It wouldn't be an army," the general warned me. "And I'm not going to order Alliance soldiers to fight pirates when they signed up to fight the Empire. I _can_ ask for volunteers, though. You'll probably get all the help you need, given your budding reputation as the man who blew up the Death Star, but it likely wouldn't include many if any fleet units."

"If it comes down to that, I won't need them, sir," I quickly agreed, running numbers and options in my head. "Just give me enough men and a chance. I already know where they're going to be for the next three weeks. All we need is to hit them within that time frame. I've got an ace in the hole if we can just get it aboard."

"A what?" Dodonna asked.

"Sorry," I said. "I mean a wild card up my sleeve. A secret weapon."

_'Damn space card games and their overcomplicated rules,'_ I thought.

"Yes, that knowledge will certainly present an opportunity," Dodonna agreed. "Might I ask how you acquired such information? I don't imagine they would just tell you where they'd be flying to next."

"A very helpful pirate, who thought I might be interested in either joining up or making a business deal of some kind, was generous when asked," I replied innocently.

"Certainly convenient," Dodonna drawled skeptically.

"More convenient that it was a Jedi asking," I returned, wiggling a few fingers for emphasis and dramatic effect. "It's amazing the shortcuts the Force can provide if one knows how and when to take them."

"So it seems," he responded dryly.

"I'd be skeptical if I hadn't seen it happen myself," Leia chimed in. "She was easily the most forthcoming and open criminal I'd ever laid eyes on."

"It helped that I was playing it low-key," I elaborated modestly. "She was hardly a subtle individual herself. Plus, I think she was weirdly antagonistic towards Leia for some reason. She seemed to appreciate me flattering her over you with my line of questioning."

Dodonna cut in before Leia could reply to that.

"Be that as it may," he went on. "Are you certain this is a fight you want, Skywalker? If things go bad for your attack force, escape may be impossible. Are you certain you want to commit to an attack when you may not have the fleet forces necessary to ensure a victory?"

"It's worth it, sir," I answered seriously. "What's more, I have the necessary elements to pull this off. If you'll give me a chance, I know I won't let you regret helping me."

Dodonna steepled his fingers in front of himself as he rested his chin on them. His eyes bored into me for a few seconds before he began speaking again.

"You're an exceptional young man, Skywalker," Dodonna admitted, conveying his seriousness with that statement. "Leia's already vouched for you and I know Kenobi does as well. For some, that would be enough. But I have a responsibility to ask you this as well. Can you _do this_? Being an exceptional pilot doesn't automatically make one an exceptional leader or soldier. Are you willing to lead these people into battle for what you believe in? Even considering that some or many of them might not make it back?"

I kept eye contact with him, but didn't answer right away. Instead, I reached for my belt. I unclipped my lightsaber and brought it up in between the two of us, horizontally as to not make it seem like I was pointing it at anyone.

I set in on the table in front of us with an audible tap of metal-on-metal.

"Yes, sir."

Dodonna smiled, understanding my message.

"Then perhaps, Lieutenant," the old general said. "You can tell me what your plan is in detail, so that we can work on getting you the resources you need."

Now, I smiled.

"Yes, sir," I said again.

The three of us spent the rest of the afternoon discussing details and crunching numbers. By the time we'd finished for the day, I had a lot more on my mind to think about for the next day.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

"Are you taking the spice, man?!"

"Wedge-"

"No, Biggs. Let's have it all out," I told him calmly.

The next day found me in the hangar of the Quasar carrier _Kaldatti_. While Dodonna and Leia made their own moves to get me some volunteers for my plan, Biggs and Wedge had their fighters stored here and I had come over at the first opportunity to explain to them what I was planning and hopefully to get their support.

Maybe I could've explained it better...

"Luke, I get that Solo's your friend," Wedge went on. "I respect the hell out of him for coming back to help us out with the Death Star. But he's alive, you're alive, he just lost his credits. You're talking about taking on a Venator here! One stacked with heavily armed pirates!"

"It's not about the credits, Wedge," I told him. "This is about what I saw when we were captured. It's about those people being abused aboard that ship. It's also about all the people I didn't see, who will get pinched by those bastards in the future if they're not stopped. Force knows what'll happen to some of them, but I don't intend to let them get the chance."

That seemed to take quite a bit of the wind out of Wedge's argument. However, Biggs seemed ready to fill the sudden lull in the conversation.

"Luke," he began. "I'm not saying I'm against helping and neither is Wedge-" said pilot made a face at that- "but... are you sure about this? Even if we get the troops for this and even if we pull it off, what about the next time we have to go up against the Empire? Shouldn't we be focusing on that?"

Alright. Time to level with them a bit here.

"This goes far beyond what I had expected when I left Tatooine," I told them. "Flying for the Alliance? Sure. Fight in the occasional ground battle or do the occasional spy mission? Certainly. But I'm set on doing this, guys. I saw that ship, I saw those... _people_... taking advantage of their slaves, their power, and relishing in hurting others..."

I stopped myself before going on a tirade.

"This may not be what I expected when I joined the Alliance, but it is right up my alley in terms of what I expect from myself," I finished. "I can't back away from this. Not now."

There was a moment of silence as I geared up to give voice to something else that needed to be said.

"I consider the two of you my friends," I told them. "Biggs; we've known each other since we were kids. Wedge; I like to think that covering each others' butts while taking down a moon-sized battlestation establishes some kind of trust."

There was a snort from Wedge at this. But it sounded like amusement, so I didn't take any offense at it.

"Dodonna, Leia, and I talked about this yesterday," I continued. "In order to get the support on board for this, I have to be of sufficient rank. They want to make me the new commander of our squadron and promote me before we go on this mission."

Silence greeted that statement.

"You both have a lot more seniority in this organization than me," I told them. "And you both flew with me at the Death Star too. So far as I'm concerned, that gives you just as much glory for that victory as I got for taking that shot. They want to make me a propaganda piece because I'm the guy who took the shot, but I told Dodonna that I drew the line at being promoted over you guys if you weren't okay with it. Us being able to work together means more to me than getting an extra cut of glory. So, if you guys aren't comfortable with it, I'll tell Dodonna to promote one of you instead and I'll just stay a lieutenant. But regardless, I want you both to be a part of this."

I wasn't just being humble here. I didn't need or want to be promoted right now if it meant I alienated my friends and fellow pilots in exchange. I could settle for staying a lieutenant awhile longer if it meant I didn't destroy my working relationships.

That being said, I also kind of hoped I could still count on their friendship and support, even if I was their new boss. This was going to be a long, hard war. I'm going to need good friends just as much as I'll need good fighters down the line.

"Luke," Biggs started. "You know you've got my help. I don't need to be the squadron leader so long as we're fighting the good fight. You showed you can fight, you showed you can fly. I don't know much about this Jedi business you've gotten yourself into, but I'm still willing to stick with you. Even if I have to start calling you 'sir.'"

I was very glad to have my oldest friend's support. Still though, I didn't want him to think our friendship would change much just because I got promoted.

"If you start saluting me, I might just throw something at you," I told him.

"What? Why? It's a gesture of respect!"

"Coming from you, it'd be more like sarcasm. Plus, it'd make me feel weird. So try to resist the temptation, okay?"

"Only in combat and in front of other people then," he nodded. "Yes sir!"

"You're a pain in my ass, Biggs Darklighter," I grumbled, but couldn't hold back the smile as I said it.

"Yes sir!" he agreed.

Then, the both of us turned to look at Wedge.

"This sounds nuts. All of it," Wedge stated flatly. He then sighed, placed his hands on his hips and looked away. "But I recognize that we wouldn't have survived that attack on the Death Star without you. When the rest of the squadron got blown away, you were the one that took charge. Maybe it's a Jedi thing, or some kind of farmboy skill that Biggs doesn't have," now it was Biggs' turn to snort in amusement. "But we listened to you. We won. So, I guess, if you're certain this is what we should be doing... then I'm in. All the way."

"I am absolutely sure this is what we need to do," I told him. "Problem is, this op won't be done with all of the blessings and planning of the Alliance. I've gotten provisional approval to recruit and equip thanks to Leia and Dodonna, but we're not getting a small fleet of ships for this. And it'll be volunteer only. Fortunately for my plans, I know exactly how to make this work. All we'll need is to successfully board them, take control of the hangar deck, and then we'll have the right where we'll want them."

Neither looked particularly relieved by my words, but I took heart from the fact that they both still seemed ready to help. I really need to work on my recruitment pitches. Maybe it's a good thing Leia and General Dodonna are recruiting the rest of the soldiers for this mission, because I don't know if I'd get nearly as many to follow me if I had to talk to them all myself.

"So what's the plan, boss?" Wedge asked.

I smiled.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_POV Shift_

Sal'okkrit was a good Trandoshan.

He always behaved himself as a hatchling, did as he was told, attended all of his lessons, and never hung out with any of 'those' types, as his mother called them. Overall, he was not very different than any number of other young trandoshan males in his age group.

Except, one day, he ran into his cousin and some of his friends. His cousin was much older and had always been nice to Sal'okkrit while he was growing up. Salkun didn't think much of it when he was being asked to run little errands in return for treats and some extra pocket change. It was all harmless, right? And his cousin was the one asking him to help! Aren't family members supposed to look out for each other?

Errands became holding onto little packages, became doing deliveries, became being a lookout, until one day, he was handed a knife and told to stab a member of a rival gang. After that, it became clear that there was no going back for him. Years passed, his standing with the gang grew, and one day, he got an offer to leave his homeworld and join a real pirate and his crew. What an opportunity! He got to fly starships, shoot stupid spacers, and got lots of credits! He sent a lot of those back home as was expected of him but he also got to keep a lot too! Money, adventure, flying, what more could he ask for?

Yes, life was good to him.

Today, it was his turn to fly in a patrol. If a ship tried to flee or stars forbid, open fire on the _Rigor Mortis_, he and his wing would chase them down and blast them. Sometimes, convoys of ships would break up in a panic and scatter, making such work necessary.

However, it looked like that wouldn't be the case today.

The two ships that popped out were no different than any of the dozens of freighters that had come before it. After awhile, there seemed little difference in what ships they pulled out of hyperspace other than their size. What did he care if their prey had been built in a SoroSub yard or a Corellian one? They were always too fat and weak to resist long and the ones that resisted too much were as good as dead before they could escape the range of the interdiction field. Such was the nature of prey.

Today's catch was a pair of generic Imperial style transports. There was a raised block in the center that contained most of the ship's mass, but also a long, flat horizontal section which contained most of the ship's cargo space. Their design was fairly new and possessed sharp angles and geometric shapes, as most Empire ships seemed to prefer. Perhaps this was some planetary government's convoy or belonged to a rich corporation?

_"Power down your engines and surrender,"_ the voice of one of his fellow pirates came over an open channel. _"Attempt to flee, and you'll be blasted out of the sky!"_

The expected response came quickly.

_"Dammit, fine! Just take it easy!"_ came the frantic voice in response. _"We haven't got anything worth dying for, so you're welcome to it!"_

_"You damage any of your cargo, it will be _you _we take as as compensation," _his fellow pirate growled.

Sal'okkrit grinned toothily as he listened to the exchange. It was rare these days for a freighter pilot to try and resist and these ones had capitulated even faster than normal. All the better, so far as he was concerned.

He watched as the freighters were pulled into the main hangar. It always fascinated him to watch ships be pulled in. With the hangar doors opening and taking the ships in, it reminded him of some of the carnivorous plants he had seen in exhibits or in the wilds of his homeworld. Watching a ship loaded with potential loot be pulled in always gave him that slight thrill to his predator instincts. Another successful capture, another successful hunt. Life is good.

That is, until it all wasn't so good anymore.

His first sign that something was wrong was when a noise he didn't recognize came over the comms and was immediately cut off. It was almost like someone had started to speak, or yell, and had been cut off in attempting to make a transmission.

Sal'okkrit stared down into the main hangar as he saw flashes of colored light. His eyes widened and confusion turned to horror as he realized that the flashes were from some kind of weapons.

"What is happening?" he hissed into his comms, a note of panic behind his words. They linked directly with the bridge and the hangar control room, so an answer should've been forthcoming.

_"They're attacking!"_ someone yelled over the open channel. _"Get reinforcements down to the hangar deck, now! That first ship was packed with the bastards! They're trying to swarm the deck!"_

Sal'okkrit was almost paralyzed with indecision. What was he supposed to do in this situation? This had never happened before! Did he try and fire on the freighter in the hangar bay? No, that would certainly damage the ship and the captain would skin him if he damaged his prized vessel too badly. He couldn't do that unless ordered to do so.

Should he try to land and help fight the invaders? He'd be completely exposed as he came in with his fighter! They'd shoot him the moment he tried to exit his cockpit, assuming he was even able to make it into the hangar with the all that chaos going on!

"This is Sal'okkrit," he tried over the comms to the ship. "What do you want us to do out here?"

Confused and angry shouting over the comms were his only answer.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_POV Shift_

I surged down the ramp with a burst of Force enhanced speed, lightsaber humming as I cut my way through the unsuspecting pirates. They had clearly expected to be dealing with terrified civilian merchants and hadn't thought to be ready for more than the usual bullying and intimidation.

Those poor, dumb bastards.

The two at the foot of the ramp stood no chance as they both fell to the deck in pieces. The four behind them were quickly cut down by blasterfire from the top of the ramp as they attempted to fire at me since I was the most obvious threat. In no time at all, the initial party of pirates lay dead on the deck. Wasting no time, I urged the rest of my attack force onward.

"Move up!" I yelled.

The motley collection of rebel soldiers surged down the ship's ramp like a stream, yelling their own war cries. A varied collection of humans, near-humans, and aliens surged into the hangar bay from both ships, numbering just a bit over three hundred. They all wore what could loosely be called the Alliance uniform; a series of tans and light blues with a mix of other colors splattered in. Some wore helmets, some didn't, but all of them carried some form of weaponry and at least some rudimentary form of combat webbing.

Dodonna had really come through for us. We'd emptied the armories of one of the Nebulon-Bs to get this team equipped, but we'd done it. I'd have wanted more for this kind of assault, maybe with one or two of those capital ships, but that just wasn't going to happen. We'd combed the whole fleet for volunteers, including the pool of new recruits who'd been in the Alliance for about as long as I had, and we'd still only scrounged up what I'd considered a minimum force capable of pulling this off. Still, Dodonna, Leia, and my reputation as the guy who took out the Death Star managed to get us enough people willing to buy into my plan that I didn't have to call it off.

I took charge of the forces moving down the ship's starboard side while the other half moved up the port. We had to be fast as well as divide our forces to ensure the best chance of success. I could only be in one place at a time to cover our forces with my lightsaber and we had to secure this deck as quickly as possible if we wanted to win the day.

We ran towards the rear of the hangar, sweeping up pirates as we went. Many of them were only armed with simple hand blasters, if at all. This left many pirates we encountered with no choice but to fight, flee, or surrender. Those who fought were quickly overwhelmed, while the ones who surrendered were quickly secured by my forces and shoved out of the way. This was only a temporary state of affairs as some of them seemed to be trying to band together or access heavier weapons than their personal blasters they kept on their persons. Anticipating the inevitable, much heavier response, we had planned to minimize the pirates' ability to ambush us as we made for our objective.

"Besh squad, guard this access point!" I ordered, pointing to a hatch and loading elevator that we were passing.

The aforementioned squad split off and began setting up defensive positions around the entry to the hangar. Most took position behind pieces of equipment while a gran rushed over to the door and began to attempt to seal it off with the combat engineering gear he was carrying.

We pushed on.

_"Esk and Dorn squads report that they are corralling prisoners beside the empty hangar spots by the LAAT dropships!"_ someone called over the main comms frequency.

_"Ensure they are checked for weapons immediately upon surrender!"_ one of the other squad leaders chimed in.

_"This is Cresh squad,"_ another spoke. _"At least three pirates have locked themselves into a shuttle on the port side of the hangar. They can't get out, but they're in control of a heavy turret on the side of the shuttle! We can not advance further on this side! I'm requesting reinforcements!"_

I tapped my own headset to speak.

"Grek squad," I ordered, swinging my lightsaber to one side to deflect a blaster shot back at the pirate who shot at me. "Deploy and make your way to the starboard side to reinforce Cresh. Cresh, hold position if you can. Be careful of using explosives. You do _not_ want to detonate the whole dropship if you're within blast radius."

_"Copy, Rogue Leader,"_ Came a reply. _"Grek squad, moving up."_

_"Cresh copies!"_ Came another. _"Digging in and awaiting reinforcements, Rogue Leader!"_

Yeah, I had designated myself Rogue Leader or Rogue One for this operation. Call it whatever you like, but I couldn't resist the temptation when it came time to designate squads. Besides that, I rather liked the idea of carrying that callsign into my first real ground combat mission. Maybe the Force would allow me to be a little luckier or maybe it would give the troops something to look to as we fought but regardless, I was Rogue Leader now.

We had gotten even luckier than I had hoped.

Our initial rush had clearly taken the pirates completely by surprise. Shouting and sounds of activity were now coming from all around the hangar, echoing off of the cavernous spaces along with the added sounds of blasterfire.

A trio of trandoshans came around the side of a parked fightercraft, aiming heavy blasters with their menacing teeth bared in vicious snarls. They opened fire immediately, aiming right for me and my squad. It was a simple, yet effective ambush. Too bad they never had a chance.

My lightsaber spun and deflected their shots. Both the ones directed at me and and at the rebel soldiers behind me. Thankfully, I had instructed them to stay behind me in a closer than usual formation as to have me be more able to cover them. Upon seeing the three trandoshans firing, the two soldiers immediately behind me fired around my sides and over my shoulders. Their shots flew true and cut down the three pirates, splashing the fighter behind them with their extra shots.

"Good work, everyone!" I called to them. "We're almost to the end of the bay! Keep moving!"

We encountered no more ambushes on our way to the back of the bay. Once we got to the blast doors though, we were greeted by another bunch of pirates who'd taken up position around the heavy doors. They numbered at least a dozen and immediately upon stepping into sight, the one in front brandished a _massive_ grenade launcher.

Without hesitation, he fired a volley of grenades.

"Take cover!" screamed one of the rebels behind me. I heard and sensed them all dodging behind equipment as they scrambled away from the explosive happy pirate's firing arc.

Everyone except me though.

Holding up my off hand, the one without the lightsaber in it, I thrust the arm up and forward. The grenades immediately reversed course like they had been hit with a baseball bat or had bounced off of an invisible surface, returning them to their point of origin at twice the speed they had been fired at. The pirate defenders barely had time to look surprised, let alone dodge as their own grenades rocketed back towards them.

_'Much like the rubber ball exercises,'_ the ridiculous thought crossed my mind.

The resulting explosion obliterated the position the pirates had fortified around the heavy doors. Fire engulfed their bodies and the concussive force of the blasts sent the rest flying in all directions. Shrapnel and body parts were everywhere, but I sensed no danger as I averted my eyes from the brilliant blast of heat and light.

Turning to the soldiers following me, I saw them crawling out from behind cover and standing back up. A few of them stared in open-mouthed amazement. I wasn't sure if it was more amazement at their survival or at what I had just done but it was easily readable on their faces.

"Let's move, Rogues!" I said, waving my lightsaber and urging them forward. "We're almost there! We've got 'em right where we want 'em!"

They followed shakily at first, but follow they did.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

It was only a short jog up a ramp to reach the hangar control post. The two pirates inside quickly surrendered and were secured as my forces swarmed into the control room. Once we were inside, I delegated forces to assist the other half of our boarding party which was still fighting the rest of its way up the port side of the ship. We still had to finish securing the hangar deck as it provided the easiest point for the crew of the _Rigor Mortis_ to ambush us or cut off our escape if this all went wrong. As confident as I was, I didn't want to leave us without a means of escape should such become necessary.

For now though, our 'ace in the hole' had just arrived and we had opened the way for him.

"Artoo," I shouted, waving him forward. "Access port, here!" I pointed to the terminal beside me.

Artoo beeped and warbled as he rolled forward behind the Alliance soldiers rushing to secure the adjacent corridors. Reinforcements were certainly coming and we only had so long to pull this off before they arrived.

Rolling over to the access port, Artoo extended the interface probe from his main body and accessed the system. After nearly a minute of familiarizing himself with the ship's systems, he informed me he was in and had accessed core system commands.

"Perfect," I grinned. "Then let's ruin their day, shall we?"

Taking a capital ship, regardless of the quality of the crew, would normally be a daunting task. The crew would be entrenched in their positions and have the home field advantage in any confrontation. Not to mention any defenses, traps, or nasty surprises that may be hidden throughout the ship. It would almost certainly take more men than I had brought with me, Jedi assistance or no. However, for this occasion, I had brought along someone uniquely qualified to give us the advantage.

I'd spent hours grilling Artoo on Venators internal workings and how we could pull this off. I knew he'd served extensively on them and even integrated himself in their systems several times and issued commands to the ship systems. Whatever upgrades he'd received since his days as a mere maintenance astromech aboard the Naboo royal transport, he'd clearly become more formidable than any other units of his design. This was something I intended to exploit today.

Artoo had been wary at first. He had told me that he couldn't just take over a whole ship by himself, but I assured him I didn't expect him to. We'd discussed his capabilities in doing so and he'd assured me that he was capable of a few tricks, even if the pirates had overhauled the ship's internal operating systems. I mentioned how capable I knew he was, since I remembered a few of his exploits during the Clone Wars and he was shocked into a few moments of silence.

We'd had time to discuss things a bit while transiting aboard the _Falcon_, going over a few things to assure Artoo I was more knowledgeable than he had previously thought and had something of a plan going forward. It'd given me a chance to work on my understanding of Binary and also to hash things out with the little droid. I'd eventually mentioned events before my birth that Artoo had been present for and had archived in his memory. At first, the astromech was reluctant to discuss these things as they brought up painful memories for him. Eventually, he relented as we got to know each other better and got down to detailing what he could be capable of once we got him aboard.

For a start, he was confident he could initiate the fire and damage control systems. That would allow him to shut down entire sections of the ship and lock out reinforcements from engaging at all or from somewhere we wouldn't want them to try. Artoo then did me one better when he suggested triggering the other damage control lockouts to prevent the ship from even being able to go to hyperspace or to trick the system to think that the main bridge and engineering were offline.

And that's exactly what he did. Now that he had access to the ship's core commands and could issue new orders, it was a simple matter for the clever little droid to trick the ship's main operating systems.

Suddenly, a new alarm tone began to screech. It was one many Star Wars fans would recognize for its deep, ominous tone. It was the deep, whale-like sound of the ship's emergency alarm.

Unseen to me but pictured, I imagined dozens and then hundreds of bulkheads slamming shut as the ship's systems registered major hull damage and was sealing off most of the ship to prevent venting the atmosphere into vacuum. Coincidentally, it was also registering fires where several conduits _must_ have exploded along the ship's interior and engine room, despite the fact that no such fires and no such hull breaches actually existed. As a result of these 'malfunctions,' power was being cut to several areas to prevent feeding any electrical fires and any more conduits from exploding. It was very convenient for my fellow rebels and I that these areas included the main bridge as well as engineering.

To top it all off, command center functions were to be transferred to the main hangar control hub. Seeing as how both main engineering and the bridge were offline due to catastrophic damage, the system was all too willing to pass control to an auxiliary station.

In less than a minute, Artoo had effectively locked down the whole ship. We couldn't control weapons or navigate the ship but we didn't need to at the moment. The fighters still outside were now locked out just as much as the personnel we had trapped in various compartments on the inside. It was only going to be a matter of time for us to dig out the isolated pockets of the now stranded pirates. We held the home field advantage now.

As the bleating tones of the ship's alarm continued to go off and consoles lit up all around us, I caught sight of a couple of rebel soldiers looking around nervously at all the flashing red lights. Smirking, I called out to them.

"No need for concern, gentlebeings!" I called cheerily, my smirk turning practically vulpine. "That's the sound of victory you're hearing!"

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

It was amazing how quiet the hangar bay had gotten. From the moment we had lowered the ramp, it had been a cacophony of shouting and blaster fire as we had fought our way stern and towards the hangar control room. Now, the actual alarms had been shut off and only the flashing lights were left to indicate that the ship was still registering that it was in distress.

The only real activity came from the few pirates and handful of slaves we'd captured. There weren't many of either, as the pirates here had chosen to fight on first reaction to seeing us rather than surrender and not many slaves would've been allowed near so much valuable equipment. That being said, we were keeping both groups of captives separate and under guard until we had the time to sort them out later.

Otherwise, we had squads holding down the most likely points of entry to the hangar bay and digging themselves in and around the hangar control room with what heavier weaponry we'd managed to bring along. As per the suggestion of one of the techs during the planning stages of this operation, we had kept an eye on the droids that were all over the hangar deck. The tech had suggested that if the droids had been modified with hidden combat programming, they might be activated at an inopportune moment and be used as a counterattack by the pirates. Not wanting to take the chance, I had assigned a few of men to corral any droids they could find and shut them down until we could check them for hidden programs.

The alarms had been sounding and the bulkheads had been sealed for several minutes already. Artoo had assured me he had everything under control and none of the crew's attempts at overriding the lockout were successful thus far. He also warned me that his ability to monitor private comm devices and what the pirates were actually doing in their isolation was practically nil with his current setup. I assured him that was fine and that I was ready to move on to the next part of the plan.

"Artoo, can you hook me up to the ship-wide comms?" I asked.

[Activating ship-wide comms...] Artoo answered. [Done. Microphone is on the main console.]

I walked over to said console, immediately identifying the microphone that was usually used to make announcements to the hangar deck alone. I picked it up and rolled my shoulders, letting out a breath as I tried to relax.

Show time.

"Attention, crew of the _Rigor Mortis_," I began, activating the mic. "As you've no doubt realized, you have lost control of your ship. I am hereby informing you that you have officially _lost_ this fight. Your vessel and your fates are now under the control of Alliance forces.

"Some of you are likely thinking this is a bluff. You are likely telling yourselves that there is no way we could have taken the whole ship over so quickly. You would only be partially correct. We have a specialist with us who happens to be intimately familiar with the operating systems and controls of Venator-class star destroyers. From only one of a select few locations on this ship, _which we are at_, we are able to initiate a lockdown of this entire vessel, _which we have_."

Artoo warbled in amusement as I shot him and the other nearby Alliance soldiers a grin. They were clearly loving this as much as I was, judging by their reactions.

"Some of you are no doubt thinking you can escape your entrapment," I went on, feeling emboldened. "Perhaps you have the tools or the know-how to overcome the sealed bulkhead in front of you. That would be a mistake. You see, right now we're willing to take prisoners as Alliance forces move throughout the ship to come and take custody of you. Any resistance you offer to Alliance forces will doubtlessly be brief, pointless, and probably end with your painful demise as we decide whether to simply vent the air you're currently breathing or just lob grenades through a crack in the door. Let's not have anymore dead heroes today and instead choose to live, shall we?

"And as for the mastermind of this whole operation," I added. "The notorious 'Crimson Jack,' otherwise known as Redbeard, you can expect some company shortly. They'll expect a warm reception if you and your crew want to make it off this tub in something other than a bucket or out an airlock."

"This is Commander Skywalker of the Alliance," I wrapped up. "Game's over, gentlemen."

I took my finger off of the mic and dropped it back onto the console. I turned to look at the other rebels in the command center with me and held out my arms.

"Too much?" I asked.

Laughter was their response, along with a few who chose to clap for the performance.

I smiled and made a sweeping gesture with my arms as I took a bow.

"Thank you, thank you!" I told them. "I'm always proud to entertain as well as lead you all into the fires of combat!"

Setting aside the levity of the moment, I looked to Artoo, who was still plugged into the access port.

"Can you locate and open up a pathway to where the captain is?" I asked him.

[Working. Location confirmed.] Artoo replied a moment later. [He's shouting orders from his cabin. Aaaand... whoops, it looks like his cabin's comms just went offline. Unless he's carrying a comlink, he won't be talking to anybody.]

"Outstanding, Artoo!" I praised him. "Let's see if we can plot a path to him and unlock the hatches leading there."

[On it!]

I turned to the other rebel troops present in the control room.

"The ship may be on lockdown," I told them. "But that doesn't mean that some of the crew might not still try to break through bulkheads or group up to fight back. Guard the access points but ensure that we focus on controlling this room, alright? We can not lose this spot. For all intents and purposes, this is now the control room for the entire ship."

"We got it, boss!" Wedge called from the panel he was standing over. "We'll keep it under control here and start isolating pockets of resistance and calling for their surrender. What's next?"

"Next," I said with a smirk. "Is I'm going to ask Crimson Jack to surrender."

"You think you can convince him to do that, sir?" one of the other soldiers asked.

"I'm gonna ask him nicely," I explained, holding up my inactive lightsaber for emphasis.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

Walking down familiar passageway after familiar passageway, I reached my destination and came to a stop. Aurek squad was stationed in front of the door to the captain's cabin and seemed to be just milling around at the moment. Not that I could blame them, since all of the other doors were still sealed shut. One of them, probably the squad's tech expert, was examining the panel beside the door.

"Commander," one of the squad members greeted me as we approached. He was an olive skinned human male with a black mullet coming out the back of his helmet. The patch on his shoulder indicated he was the squad leader.

"He lock himself in?" I asked rhetorically. It seemed rather obvious, given what I was seeing.

"Door's been reinforced and magnetically sealed, sir," the kneeling tech, another human but with more Caucasian tones, explained. He was still poking at the wiring coming out of the bulkhead. "I've been trying to override the locks but it looks like it was refitted to prevent exactly that. Even killing the power wouldn't help much. I'm not sure I'll be able to do much from this panel."

"We might need explosives to breech, sir," the squad leader said. "Either that or wait until we can get some high grade cutting tools and get that door open."

"He alone in there?" I asked him.

"We think so. We tried communicating with him at first. Tried to tell him the ship was taken and he needed to come out. He told us to go kriff ourselves."

"Charming," I said lightly. "Perhaps I can be a bit more convincing. Soldier, you'd best stand back and away from the door."

Everyone, even the ones not close to the door, took a few steps back as I unclipped my lightsaber from my belt and ignited the blade. The technician who'd been poking at the panel scrambled back a bit on his knees as he caught sight of the action.

Lining up the super heated beam of energy, I began by slowly piercing the side of the door, starting at the top and working my way down. I didn't have to waste time with cutting the whole door out to get it to open; just focus on severing the magnetic bars on one side that kept it locked in place.

The door was much denser than it had first appeared but it didn't even really matter in the end. Going at a thorough and slow pace, I worked my way down one side of the door, destroying any locking mechanism embedded in the door or in the bulkhead. I reached the bottom of the hatch and pulled back my lightsaber, keeping it ignited. The metal popped and fizzed as it cooled without the lightsaber in contact with it anymore.

"Beats the hell out of a shaped charge," muttered one of the soldiers behind me.

"Everyone stand by out here," I told them. "I'll go in first and try to force a surrender out of the stubborn bastard."

It would also be easier to defend just myself if he tried something but I decided not to phrase it like that.

"Roger that, sir," the squad leader replied for his men.

Using the Force, I pushed back the door into the open position Since there were no longer any magnetic bars to hold it in place, it was quite a bit easier than it might've been otherwise and didn't lead to me destroying the whole section of bulkhead. The door ground open, causing all those present to wince at the screeching sound of metal-on-metal.

Stepping into the compartment, I was ready for a barrage of blasterfire to come at me. I wasn't disappointed when a single shot came from the direction of one of the adjacent rooms. The captain's cabin was clearly divided up into several small rooms and Jack had decided to use on of the doorways as cover while he made his defiant stand.

Defiant, yet useless. I casually knocked a blaster shot aside and into the ceiling, accidentally damaging one of the lights when I did so.

"Put it down," I ordered. "Or the next shot will get deflected right back at you."

The pirate glared at me and kept pointing his heavy looking blaster. For a second, I thought he was going to fire again. Instead, he kept glaring for a few seconds more and then tossed the blaster into the compartment I was standing in, having it land on the couch several feet away. Jack slowly stepped out of the room, keeping his hands out to indicate he wasn't holding anything else.

"Nice toy you've got there, kid," he sneered, staring at my ignited lightsaber. "Solo's pal, right? Didn't think he was dumb enough to come after me like this."

I didn't buy his surrendering act for a second. There was a vibroknife still sheathed on his left hip. It had a bulkier hilt and a thicker blade than normal, so I didn't think it was just a regular knife. He hadn't dropped it or deactivated it but his left hand was hanging close to it. Not that I was concerned. The blade was only a few inches long and despite it's likely deadly capabilities, neither it nor its wielder would be a match for me if it came down to it.

"This wasn't his idea," I informed him. "It was mine. Now, either you surrender and take your chances with a courtroom somewhere; or you don't and you die right here. Decide now."

"Do you have any idea what you've stuck your neck out for here?" Jack asked instead. "You think I work alone? I work for the Hutts, you Outer Rim bumpkin! You have any idea what that means for you and your buddies if you don't let me go?"

He was stalling. Trying to talk his way out of here somehow.

"This isn't a negotiation," I stated firmly. "And you're not flying out of here unless it's with your hands tied and you stuffed into the cargo hold of whatever ship we send you out on. It's over."

"You talk a good game, kid, I'll give you that much," Jack said. "Real intimidating. But what good is that attitude gonna do you when Jabba the Hutt finds out you stole from him? Finds out that you trashed one of his operations and took his credits?"

"I can only guess, I suppose," I shrugged. "Although, I wish I could see the look on his face when he gets the news. I wonder what color a Hutt turns when he's mad?"

"You've got no idea what you've gotten yourself into, kid," Jack said, shaking his head. "The Hutts control over a hundred major worlds and have hundreds more tied to strings. They've been around for thousands of years and have outlasted governments, armies, even the mighty Jedi."

"Then I suppose they're also accustomed to the idea of rolling over and playing dead when someone stronger comes along," I replied, sounding bored. "Get to the point."

Jack _had_ a point though. And I couldn't just ignore it.

The Hutt Cartels had survived longer than pretty much any other galactic institution. They'd fought and even won their fair share of interstellar conflicts in the past.

And here I was; one guy about to step up and spit in the face of that organization. It had occurred to me more than once that I might be bringing some serious heat onto myself with this. It was bound to come out sooner or later that I was the one responsible for this operation. When that happened, I'd definitely have a bounty placed on my head by Jabba. Good cause or not, was this in any way a smart move?

What about my big plans? I had so many obstacles to overcome as it is. Was adding 'going to war with interstellar gangsters' really worth it if it put those plans in jeopardy? Vader, the Alliance, my friends, all those people who whether they knew it or not were counting on me to succeed. To make a difference. Didn't I at least owe it to them to make better, smarter choices?

All I had to do was think of the terrified faces of those slaves I'd seen. I remembered Jack's and the other pirates' smug satisfaction as they laughed and enjoyed the spoils of the ships they'd captured. Thinking of all that made my decision easy.

Damn the bigger picture. I'd handle the consequences when they arose. Right now, my path forward was clear.

"I can almost respect you trying to talk your way out of this, _'Crimson Jack_,'" I said, putting a degree of sarcasm behind that absurd nickname. "But what I'm doing after this and how I handle the Cartels isn't any of your damn business. You can either surrender now and hope for leniency, or I'll have to end your life here."

Jack bristled under my insulting tone and ultimatum. His face contorted into a look of rage as he reached a decision.

"Stupid, _boy_," Jack spat, brandishing his knife and pointing it at me.

The vibroknife made a quiet clicking noise.

Then, the blade _fired_ out of the hilt, shooting towards my head at high speed. Faster than most beings would've been able to dodge. Faster than a normal human would be able to dodge, I was sure.

But not too fast for a Jedi.

I sensed the danger coming before Jack even pointed the knife at me, even if I wasn't certain what form it would take. As it was, all I had to do was tilt my head to the side as the humming projectile sped past my ear and went straight into the (probably expensive) wooden paneling over the bulkhead.

Not waiting to see the effect of his surprise attack, the pirate had leaped towards the couch for his discarded blaster, scrambling for another weapon to finish me off. I didn't intend to give him the opportunity to even try.

I rushed forward towards the couch as well, brandishing my lightsaber in the same movement as I brought it up into a better striking position. I didn't bother with any fancy or complicated movement as I entered range of the pirate. His body armor would be no match for a lightsaber.

Jack reached his weapon first. His face showed his sudden elation at having a weapon in his hand, even though his fear was still very present due to his circumstances. He spun around, ready to fire...

Just as I swept my lightsaber through him.

Crimson 'Redbeard' Jack crumpled to the floor.

First one part, then the other.

_'Shit, that's unsettling to watch in real life,'_ I thought, kind of grossed out.

"Commander!" came a shout behind me. My backup rushed into the compartment behind me, ready to fight.

"It's alright!" I called back. "Fight's over, everything's fine."

"Copy that, commander," replied the squad leader. "Orders?"

I absentmindedly admired the professionalism and/or focus of the squad leader. I was standing over the still-smoking remains of what was once a human being and he didn't even make a single remark regarding it.

But now was no time to lose focus.

"Let's get back to the hangar deck," I decided. "We can regroup with the others and start bringing in the holdouts. News of their leader's demise might help speed that along a bit."

"Yessir," the man replied. "Alright, let's pack it in, squad! Show's over! Pakk, you're on point..."

Letting out a breath, I tuned out the other rebels' chatter and examined the scene, just taking it all in. The body of Crimson Jack, the smell of ozone and burnt flesh, the luxurious accommodations, everything. It was then that I noticed the blade sticking out of the bulkhead behind where I was standing.

Turning my head down to my feet first, I noticed the hilt laying where it had been dropped when Jack went for his blaster. Picking it up, I took a closer look at the hilt as I peeked at the mechanism which had launched the blade.

_'A ballistic vibroblade,'_ I thought in fascination, examining the device. _'Not something I think I've ever seen or heard of before. A perfect weapon for taking an enemy by surprise.'_

Pocketing the curious device, I turned towards the door. Whatever pirates were still willing to fight might be more inclined to give up once they heard that their captain was dead. I gave one last look at the still humming blade wedged into the bulkhead enough to stay stuck there. I wondered how much energy was still in the blade and how long it'd take to wear out before shaking my head and deciding to just leave it for someone else to deal with later.

"Shouldn't have gone for the head," I muttered.

Without another word, I walked out of the compartment.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

I let out a sigh as I set the datapad on the desk and leaned back in my chair. I rubbed my tired eyes as I enjoyed how sinfully comfortable even the desk chair was in this cabin I'd commandeered. It wasn't the captain's cabin, as I had no desire to stay in the same room where I had just killed a man but it was still absurdly comfortable for what I thought sensible for a warship. I'd tested out the other lavish furniture in the cabin and found that it was all ridiculously comfortable as well. The other guys had found out that it was pretty much the same story with just about every cabin aboard. 'Crimson Jack' might have been a selfish prick and a pirate, but he seemed to spare no luxury for his own merry band of scum and slavers. Or maybe piracy was just that lucrative, so long as you could get away with it.

After we'd finished securing the ship and the crew, the rest of the pirates had been locked up in one of the empty cargo holds. They'd been stripped of anything useful or that might be used to make an escape and left with only a few blankets to keep them from freezing while we were on our way to our destination. None of them looked willing to keep up the fight once enough of them had fallen and word had gotten around to the last holdouts that Crimson Jack was dead. Still, we'd made sure to point out that the cargo hold they were being locked into had an airlock door that opened up to vacuum. Any sudden desire to retake their ship would certainly end with us opening said door. A rather heavy handed threat but it worked to keep them cowed until we could pass them off to someone else.

The fighter patrol that had been flying outside had surrendered fairly quickly once they realized the ship was taken. None of the small fighters had hyperdrives of their own, meaning their options were to either land and surrender or be stranded in the middle of nowhere once we jumped to hyperspace. I think some of those pilots had expected exactly that to happen, judging from their relief at being able to land and surrender themselves.

Afterwards, among a hundred other things all going on all at once, I recalled being contacted by one of the rebel troopers who'd been sweeping the ship. At his insistence, I had gone down to the area the trooper was in to see what he and his buddies had found. Upon arrival the giddy young man, who actually looked to be the same age as me, excitedly opened a reinforced hatch and showed us the interior.

He'd found the loot.

Either Jack had been holding out on Jabba, or piracy was just a lot more lucrative than I'd first thought. Box after box of stacked credit chits, categorized as either 'marked' or 'unmarked,' were lined up in row after row on the deck and on shelves. Various pieces of gaudy decoration were stacked on other shelves, showing their value by obvious virtue of being made of precious metals and valuable gemstones. A number of art pieces sat on one side of the room, carefully stored, marked, and cataloged for later. Finally, in the back, a whole load of curiosities and random trinkets sat. Likely the unsorted loot of previously captured ships.

I was amazed at what I was seeing. I'd never seen so much obvious wealth stored in one place before. It was no wonder that much of the ship was so lavishly decorated when this was what was stored in its cargo hold. At the insistence of some of the officers, I'd had a guard posted and a new lock put in place over the door to prevent anyone with sticky fingers from having a look.

The Alliance would certainly appreciate the massive stash of credits and valuables. I knew there was no way I'd be able to keep all of that wealth for myself or even just for the guys who came along on this mission. However, I idly wondered if there was some kind of reward system in place for these things? A percentage for the crew that captured it? For that matter, should I expect to be paid any time soon?

I sat there for a few more minutes, just letting my mind wander down these thought tangents, until I heard the door chime activate. I sat up and checked that my blaster and lightsaber were still nearby and ready in case I needed them. We might have either killed or locked up all of the pirates, but I suppose I was still a bit on edge after all the fighting to take the ship.

Opening the door to the cabin, I was greeted to the sight of a blue twi'lek woman. White dots seem to either be painted or tattooed along the sides of her face and headtails, contrasting interestingly with her skin. She was a bit on the short side, only coming up to my chest.

Speaking of chests, what she was wearing was rather... _distracting_ in regards to how much of hers was on display.

"Yes?" I asked, determinedly focusing on her face and nowhere else. "Can I help you with something?"

"May I come in, sir?" she asked quietly.

"Uh, sure," I replied, moving aside and gesturing her inside.

She entered the cabin and got a good look at what she was wearing. It was essentially a white fishnet bodysuit with a few artfully applied strips of fabric to maintain some semblance of decency. A complicated series of fabric knots was tied around her head, keeping her lekku in place as she walked. It reminded me of some of the complicated knots sailors sometimes used in Earth's water navies to tie things down.

"Did, uh, you need something?" I asked, still confused as to what she was doing here.

"I-I thought you may desire company, sir," the twi'lek woman sad nervously, wringing and fiddling her hands in front of herself as she didn't look me in the eye.

What was-?

Oh.

_Oh._

It might've taken me a second but I realized what she was suggesting after a moment of thought.

"That's...that's really not necessary," I said, sighing and holding up my hands. "Look, you don't... you don't have to do that. I told you all down on the hanger deck that we'd get you and the others somewhere safe. There are plenty of worlds out there you could go and plenty of loot in the ship's hold. I'm going to talk to my superiors and make sure some of it is used to help you guys out."

Amidst all the post-battle cleanup, I'd made sure to make the time to speak to the former slaves and inform them of their new status. All of those we'd ensured were actual slaves and not just pirates trying to hide as slaves were gathered on the hangar deck so we could account for them all easily. All together, we counted one hundred eighty-six slaves, which was nearly a quarter of the ship's number of pirates. I, as well as everyone who'd come with me, had assured the distressed group that they were safe now and we weren't just a change in management.

There'd been a lot of crying and pleading involved but I was certain that I had gotten the message across in the end once everyone had calmed down. We'd had to keep them corralled on the hangar deck while we locked up the pirate captives in the ship's brig. Everyone should have been fed and made comfortable for the trip once we got the ship into hyperspace. Now though, I'd have to have a word with the soldiers who'd been guarding them. I knew they were instructed to afford the former slaves every courtesy until we could get the bombs removed from them but clearly they had let too much slide if this young lady had been able to make her way up to the room I was staying in without being stopped.

_'At least I hope she wasn't stopped by one of my guys,'_ I thought._ 'Then it'd have to be a whole different conversation...'_

"I..." the woman held her arms crossed in front of her. "I don't know where to go. I... have nowhere to go."

"There's got to be something better," I assured her. "The Alliance stretches across numerous worlds and pretty much everyone hates pirates and slavers. There have to be organizations and planetary or sector governments that can help..."

I trailed off as my words sounded hollow, even to me. Could the Alliance actually help at all? They might mean well as a whole, but they're also totally occupied with their fight against the Empire. I had to fight and exploit a loophole just to get this operation approved at all. I'd almost certainly have an upwards struggle getting any sort of extra assistance for this woman or any of the others. Did I even have any sort of rights to the treasure in the hold? I'd made use of Alliance personnel to seize this ship, so wouldn't they ultimately have the final word on what happened to the spoils?

I looked at the woman in front of me again. She was scared and I didn't need the Force to tell me that much. But I kept looking at her and started thinking.

She was young, and clearly uncomfortable with what she had come here to do. I don't know if she'd been put up to it or had chosen to do so of her own initiative but either way, she'd come here. I knew twi'leks were horribly exploited in many parts of the galaxy, most of all in Hutt space. This young woman may not have anywhere to go, so maybe...

Well, why not?

"Miss, uh...?" I asked. "I'm sorry, but could you please tell me your name again?"

I didn't think she'd ever actually introduced herself, but I was trying to be extra nice here.

"Duella, sir," she informed me.

"Duella," I nodded. "If you're nervous about leaving, would you prefer to stay? Not as 'entertainment,'" I hastily clarified. "But as a member of the crew?"

Duella looked shocked and a bit confused by the offer. "I-I don't...what w-would I...I...?"

"Miss Duella," I gently interrupted with a smile. "Would you like a job?"

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

Duella and I talked a bit more before I sent her off to get some sleep. I was pretty sure she was going to deliver news to the other liberated slaves, but I spent the rest of the night awake as I had new inspiration and I had to act on it. I would be tired as hell the next morning but I could rely on the Force to ward off the worst of my weariness.

The next day, I asked to assemble the whole group of former slaves in the hanger bay. The whole group stood massed in the main launch field between the side hangers. We were due to arrive shortly at our scheduled rendezvous, so I had only a short amount of time to make this pitch.

There was very little conversation going on between the former captives when I entered the hanger and even that died once I made it to the top of the stacked crates I'd asked someone to put out. Everyone started quickly hushing one another as all eyes were suddenly on me. Some looked wary, but most of them seemed simply curious.

Seeing the size of this crowd composed of former slaves and a number of my fellow rebels who were standing guard, I was reminded that public speaking was the most common fear for a reason. This was so much different and harder than talking to my fellow pilots or to a few Alliance officers one on one.

I cleared my throat. "I thank you all for coming," I began, a bit nervously. "We'll be arriving soon and I wanted to say a few words to you all before we reached our destination."

My voice steadied out as I kept going and I felt myself getting confidence as I continued speaking.

"I've been speaking with Miss Duella and she's been telling me about the problems some of you are facing going forward. There are many among you who don't have anywhere to go or don't know what to do now that you are free. Speaking with her, I realized that I didn't have a clear and simple answer for what you should all do. I wish I did, but I don't.

"After giving it some thought, I've decided I'd like to offer you all an alternative. But before laying it out for you all, I have a few things I'd like for you to know about us;

"My name is Luke Skywalker and I'm a commander in the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Or 'rebel scum' as we're more commonly known. Our organization's goal is stated right there in the name but it only covers one reason why many of us have joined. Many of us were too young to remember life before the Empire took over and have no love for the long-gone Republic as a result of that. What we share with those who do however, is a belief that things under the Empire shouldn't be allowed to continue as they have. Talk to any of the folks who came with me and you'll likely hear a story of injustice or tragedy which drove them, drove us, to join up."

I waved one arm, gesturing to the various Alliance personnel in attendance.

"This unit was formed mere days ago, after the Alliance achieved a major victory over Yavin IV. We had to abandon our base on the moon and regroup in space with our fleet units. On our way there, my ship was captured, looted, and let go by Crimson Jack as a result of him knowing our pilot. If that was all that happened, I probably would've let it go. Money on its own isn't worth dying for as far as I'm concerned. But I also got a good look at this place while I was here. I saw all of you and what you had been forced into and I just couldn't let it go.

"When I met up with the rest of my allies, I told them what I saw. I told them that there were people who needed help and were being subjected to terrible things by a gaudy pirate and his equally sloppy crew. I told them I intended to come back here, blast this hulk open, and free you all. I asked for volunteers to join me. Volunteers, and a chance to do the right thing."

Here, I paused. I pointed to the rebel soldiers standing around us in the bay in small clusters. They also were listening to my words and taking them in with serious expressions.

"Everyone here came with me because they agreed that this couldn't stand. They agreed that this was one more injustice that couldn't be allowed to go unpunished. Barely a few hundred soldiers, some pilots, and a belief that we could make a difference here. A belief that putting an end to these pirates and setting you all free was something worth fighting and perhaps dying for. I'm standing before you all now to offer you a similar chance.

"All of you are welcome to join us," I offered simply. "What we've started here is just a beginning. I can't promise you safety, I can't promise you revenge, or wealth, or fame, or glory. What I can promise is somewhere where you can belong. What I can promise you is that so long as I live and breathe, I will do everything in my power to ensure that what we've started here won't just fade away. More than fighting the Empire, I believe that I have a responsibility to stand for something. To make a difference with the power I have and the opportunities it has presented me with. If you believe as I do, then I can't think of a better place for you to be.

"Ultimately, the choice is yours. You've just regained your freedom and I don't plan on taking it away from you now. I'll give you all some time to think about it but once we arrive, those who haven't chosen to stay will be remanded to Alliance custody while we try to get you where you want to go. At that point, I don't imagine we'll be seeing each other again. If that is to be the case, then so be it. I wish you all well and may the Force be with you all."

I stepped off the crates, now finished speaking. Nobody applauded or cheered, but this didn't feel like it was that kind of speech. Still, if this were a movie, this would be a good time for someone to cheer my name to let me know that I hadn't just talked a lot of shit with nothing to show for it.

Before I got far, having no idea where I was headed now that my little speech was over and we still hadn't dropped out of hyperspace, I was distracted by someone calling out to me.

"Commander Skywalker?"

Turning towards the voice, I saw a familiar face. Duella, along with a handful of others, were walking towards me. One of the rebel soldiers was about to stop them, but I waved him off and walked towards the small group to meet them.

Duella stood at the front but there were a few other twi'leks in the group as well as a scattering of other humans and non-humans that numbered a little over forty. Duella seemed to be the group's spokesperson and was looking at me with determination in her eyes while the others still seemed reluctant to meet anyone else's eyes, for the most part.

In fact, the look on Duella's face was such that I wasn't at all surprised by the next words that came out of her mouth.

"Where do we start?"

I smiled.

Looks like Rogue Squadron-or rather, _Rogue Cell_ just picked up some more recruits.

**AN: Well, what do you think? Not too rushed, I hope. **

**Definitely**** some, ah, _mixed responses_ to that last chapter. Putting it out there right now; I wanted to do this not only to explain Han not paying off Jabba in the Holy Trilogy, but to explore having a ship in a SW story and explore the Venator's potential as a warship a bit. **

**As cartoonish as I found 'Redbeard,' I did like the idea of a pirate who salvaged an Imperial warship and got an elaborate piracy operation financed by the Hutts. I filled in some of the details with how I think such an operation would work, changed the kind of ship to something more suited to the age, and voila! It also lets me add a few things and create a setting for some cool stuff I want to do later. Plus, it lets me add a Venator and get the opportunity to incorporate it into the Alliance's starfighter operations. As much as I love the versatility of it as it exists in Legends, I don't see a reason why a Venator can't be used to enhance things a bit.**

**Also, Commander Pye'ke was a complete accident. I just threw out a name of a guy I used to work with who acts like he's hot shit because he's in a position of relative power over others. I actually completely forgot that the Pyke (Pike?) Syndicate was a thing until I caught up on the last couple of episodes of Clone Wars. Hand to God, it was a total accident. I ultimately decided to keep it since it wasn't really a big deal and doesn't really affect the story at all.**

**Not entirely satisfied with my little speech at the end, to be honest. Maybe I'll edit it later but I delayed this chapter long enough and didn't want to spend another week agonizing over the perfect speech. Frederick Douglass, I am not.**

**Next time, I'm thinking we'll take a break from the craziness of our adventure and go for something a little more lighthearted and fun. Then, it's right back into the action!**

**Until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan written story. Star Wars or any of the associated properties mentioned in this story are all owned by Disney and their respective companies, authors and/or corporations. This is purely a work of fiction written for pleasure and nonprofit. Please support the official release.**

* * *

**Skywalker: Resurgent Ch.9: It's All Coming Together**

"It's certainly a much more impressive looking ship when it isn't crawling with pirates, I'll grant you that," Leia remarked.

We were exiting the hangar bay of the ship as Leia made her comment. It was hard to hold a conversation in the currently bustling hangar as it was swarming with activity left and right. Prisoners were being offloaded, equipment was being checked, and the former slaves who hadn't wished to stay had transports waiting for them to take them to an Alliance friendly world.

Our rendezvous with Alliance forces had been met with many happy tidings but also an explosion of activity. Among other things, Han, Chewie, Leia, and Threepio were all happy for my safe return. Han had flown everyone over on the _Falcon_ less than an hour after we'd arrived and begun offloading prisoners and had begun taking on a small army of technicians and specialists to crawl over this heap and inspect it for traps, faults, or anything especially dangerous.

And speaking of; I'd been helping see to the separation of the new recruits from the ship's compliment of former slaves who still wished to leave. In total, of the one hundred eighty-six slaves we'd freed, one hundred and four of them had decided to stay on with us. I'd sort of hoped for more but was also amazed that more than half of them had chosen to stick around and help. Perhaps they were just the ones with nowhere else to go or thought they wouldn't get a better offer elsewhere, but I wanted to hold true to my promise and make sure that each of them had a place with us.

As for the rest, they'd be transported elsewhere. We'd located the control devices that were used to keep the slaves in line and from escaping. Yes _devices_, as in more than one. There were three in total and were rigged with proximity triggers to activate if any of the slaves got more than a kilometer away from the ship. We'd had them deactivated safely, but it'd take more time to remove the implanted explosives. Fortunately, I'd gotten word that there was a certain organization based out of Chardaan that's always willing to lend a hand in situations like this and was apparently run by more than one Alliance sympathizer. That was where we were sending the rest who simply wanted to be free and/or away from this life. I wished them all well, although I doubt I'd see any of them again.

My attention had been immediately taken up by my friends as the _Falcon's_ ramp came down and they descended it to greet me.

Han had greeted me with a firm handshake and a casual greeting that made mention of how glad he was that I had survived my 'little excursion,' as he put it. Leia was much less concerned about playing it cool and greeted me with a hug, as did Chewie a moment after her. The big wookiee had glomped all of us together in his massive arms, even lassoing Han into it as Threepio chirped his congratulations for our mission's success.

I'd asked them to follow me to a conference room I had set aside for us to meet. Since the hangar deck was swarming with people trying to complete one task or another and we were kind of in the way, I figured it to be for the best. Threepio had broken off to catch up with Artoo, who was once again in the hangar control room helping coordinate the rush of activity.

"They may be owned by the Empire these days but nobody can deny that Kuat Drive Yards don't turn out some impressive ships," Han remarked. "Not bad at all, even if she's a bit of a relic."

"A relic?" I snorted. "Hardly. Just because she's not the latest design doesn't mean she doesn't still have more than a bit of life left in her. Something I intend to put to good use once we get her fully operational again."

"So you're really planning on keeping this tub?" Han asked. "I'd just as soon strip her for parts. These things were notorious for being overdesigned and that was before the modifications Redbeard added to her. You're probably better off selling her for parts and buying your own ship with the profits from that."

Chewie growled his disagreement with his friend's opinion.

"Thank you, Chewie," I replied. "It's nice to have a more educated opinion chime in with support for my ideas."

"Oh, come on," Han rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "Don't tell me I'm the only one here who doesn't buy into that Clone Wars-era nostalgia? The ship's underarmed for a vessel its tonnage, it's tail heavy, the ventral side has totally inadequate weapons coverage-"

"Boys," Leia interrupted. "Could you perhaps have this conversation some other time? At least when I'm not around?"

"Not interested in starship design, your highness?" I asked cheekily. "Well as it happens, I'm glad you both decided to fly on over. I've got a little something for us all just through here."

We came up to a door leading to one of the conference rooms this ship boasted. Although, conference room may have been understating it. The plush chairs and elegantly designed metal table wouldn't have been out of place in some high class corporate boardroom somewhere. Neither would the obviously well stocked liquor cabinet sitting against one wall.

The only things out of place were the three conspicuous looking boxes sitting on the table itself.

Han let out an appreciative whistle at the scene.

"Let it not be said that Crimson Jack didn't spoil his crew on the accommodations," he remarked. "He turned this place into a luxury yacht."

Walking over to the cabinet, I gestured to the various bottles that came in all sorts of different colors and shapes.

"A lot of this stuff is probably going to disappear over the next few days," I lamented, pulling out enough glasses for the four of us. "So, I thought we could all enjoy a quick toast before this all goes away. I however, have no idea which of these is good and which is trash. So, I'm appealing to your superior expertise in this matter."

"Don't mind if I do," Han said agreeably. He walked over to the liquor cabinet and began sorting through the labels. A moment later, Chewie came up behind him and began doing the same.

"And although you didn't ask," I continued, pointing at the boxes on the table. "All of your missing credits, accounted for and returned."

"Aw, kid," Han said, putting a bottle of clear liquid back on the shelf and turning to face me. "You really didn't have to do this, y'know? I'd have been fine."

"Yes, I did," I told him firmly. "For several reasons, sure, but also because I promised you I'd get you your credits back."

The fact that it spared him the attentions of bounty hunters like Boba Fett and whomever else Jabba would send after him was also a big relief to have off of my mind. Also, I wasn't sure what specifically had inspired Han to stick with the rebellion in the years leading up to Hoth, but in case I had inadvertently changed things without realizing it or had missed an opportunity somewhere, I was sure this would help ingratiate Han just a bit with me and therefore the cause.

"My advice though?" I went on. "Get your butt to Tatooine as soon as possible and get that bounty off your head. No telling what kind of mood Jabba will be in when he finds out he lost a whole Venator. Word will get out eventually and I wouldn't want to be around him when he's enraged. The stories of what he does to his enemies are bad enough when they're told secondhand."

"I will," Han nodded. "Seriously though, Luke; thanks for this. I know you didn't have to go out of your way for me but I appreciate it nonetheless. I owe you one."

"Well, if you feel that strongly about it," I replied. "We can talk about it when you get back. There might be some opportunities you'd be interested in either around here or with the Alliance."

"You're not coming along?" Han asked. "I thought you'd like to visit those folks of yours?"

I hesitated a moment before answering him. While nobody said anything and it only lasted for a moment, I was sure my friends had noticed my pause.

"No," I said at last. "No, I'll have to do that some other time. I'm going to be too busy getting this hulk fit for duty and taking on the rest of the fighters originally slated for Red Squadron. You and Chewie should just go yourselves."

"You sure?" he asked. "I can hold off for a few days if you'd like. It'd be no trouble at all."

I thought I saw a touch of concern in his expression before he smoothed it away. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that except that right now I wished he would just drop it.

"I'm sure," I confirmed. "I'm going to be way too busy in the coming weeks to just take off for a few days. I started something here, so it's only right that I stick around to make sure all the little pieces keep moving the right way."

"Besides," I smirked. "You won't want me hanging around just in case news does reach the big slug faster than it should have. Since I'm told I'm something of a trouble magnet, you're probably better off if I stay here."

"Speaking of staying here," Leia interjected. "I hope you're not thinking of keeping the name for the ship that Crimson Jack gave it. Have you thought of any name alternatives?"

"I'm not sure, actually," I admitted. "I've got some ideas but nothing seems to really _fit_ so far, y'know?"

I was tossing a few names back and forth in my head as a suggestion. Keeping the name _Rigor Mortis_ was not an option since I doubted anyone would want to keep the name and I personally didn't like it. I had considered calling it the _Enterprise_, but I don't think that one would pass either. It also just didn't _feel_ right, if that made any sense. Neither would any Earth specific names for that matter since many of them wouldn't be relevant to the people serving aboard her here and now. That eliminated _Yorktown_ and many other names I'd thought up. _Redeemer_, maybe? The _Avenger_? The _Prodigal Knight_? Maybe just call it the _Rogue_? No, all of those sounded wrong for one reason or another.

Why was this so hard?!

"I'll make sure I come up with something," I assured her.

"Well, you'd best come up with something before your debriefing tomorrow," Leia advised. "Before you know it, it'll go to some kind of committee and you'll end up burdened with some name you don't like. Since you led the operation, odds are that whatever you call it will end up sticking since it'll be in the official report."

"Ships without names are bad luck," Han chimed in with his opinion. It seems he had also found a bottle he liked. Surprise, surprise, it was some kind of Corellian whiskey. "And I think I found just the right bottle."

"Then I'll pour," I offered, twisting the cap off the bottle and lining up the glasses.

"By the way," I added, handing Han and Chewie their glasses. "Leia; would you mind meeting me sometime tomorrow after my debriefing with Dodonna and his staff? I've got some stuff I want to run by you."

"Sure," she replied easily. "What's it about?"

"I've got another idea I want to chat with you about-"

I broke off as Han tuned to Chewie and gave a loud, "Uh oh!" which brought an amused huff out of the big wookiee.

"What?" I asked, turning to him. "What did I do?"

"Oh, it's nothing, kid," Han replied good-naturedly. "Just the inevitable reaction to hearing that you've got another 'idea' you want to run with. Seeing as how the last one saw you leading a military operation against a bunch of pirates, I can't wait to hear about this one."

Chewie nodded vigorously in agreement with Han's words.

"I'm not that bad," I protested. "Leia, tell them! This was a sound and sane plan that you were proud to be a part of planning!"

Leia suddenly seemed very interested in the conference room table and didn't turn to meet my eyes. The amused twitch at the corner of her mouth was the only tell that she meant it as a joke.

"Oh, whatever," I waved off. "New rule; you can't let me pour you all drinks if you're going to poke fun at my _amazing_ ideas. Han, that goes double for you since you were holding your glass while you made that remark."

Han wore a suddenly put-upon expression at my response while Leia smirked at him and Chewie outright laughed.

"But all of that can wait until tomorrow," I waved off. "The galaxy won't spiral out of existence if we simply enjoy ourselves a little bit. Let's just be grateful that today, the good guys have won, the Empire _and_ the Hutts have taken a bloody nose _each_ in the last week, and we're all still here to laugh about it."

"Hutts don't have noses," Han remarked, holding up his glass. "But your point is still made. I for one, will drink to that."

"And so will I," Leia chimed in. "This was well done, Luke. You should be proud."

Chewie raised his own glass, grunting his agreement.

"Let's just be happy for now that everything's going so well," I said, holding up my own glass.

We all clinked our glasses together as my friends echoed the sentiment.

As it turned out, Han has excellent taste in booze. The amber liquid went down smoothly.

Later, after our little gathering broke up as we all acknowledged that we all had somewhere else we should be, I was cleaning out Jack's old quarters. Since I might be the one that gets them, I might as well make sure they were clean of any personal effects and double check for anything of intelligence value. I was taking one of the pieces of wall decoration down -some kind of beast's head that had been mounted- when I discovered something hidden behind it.

I thought it might be some kind of safe at first. Upon closer examination, I saw that it was a placard that seemed firmly attached to the wall. It was scuffed and faded and had been bolted to the bulkhead at some point, which is probably why it was still there and Jack had just hung something over it. Curious, I scrubbed some of the grime off of the surface as writing became legible. Date of commission, built with pride by Kuat Drive Yards... and a name.

I looked at the blocky black letters over gold background as I considered them.

I tilted my head.

I smiled.

Looks like new ship had a name after all.

The _Resurgent_.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_Late the Next Day..._

"Thanks for coming."

"You made it sound important," Leia replied easily. "I think you've earned the right to have someone listen to your ideas before calling them dumb. Before we get to it though, what's wrong with your hands?"

I waved a bandaged hand in negation to her concerns.

"It's nothing," I assured her. "Just a little training accident which has left me with singed fingertips. I'll be fine by tomorrow."

My hands were wrapped in bandages, as the medic had ordered that they remain that way for the next twenty-four hours. He'd treated them with a bacta spray and informed me to return the next day to have them looked at again or sooner if I experienced any complications.

An ability I had wanted to try was blaster deflection with my bare hands. Vader demonstrated it in Episode V when he deflected Han's blaster shots just after Lando had betrayed them. Of course, that might have just been his cybernetic limbs soaking up the shots, but it was also an ability demonstrated in the KOTOR games as a Force power. I'd figured that learning how to deflect blastershots would be extremely useful if I was ever caught unawares or without my lightsaber.

Of course, life isn't a video game and I actually have to practice an ability before using it, but the ability seem possible, if in theory. A blastershot was essentially a condensed beam of energy. If I could coat my hands in Force energy, or some kind of ionized charge, then I _should_ be able to use my bare hands to deflect the energy.

Theory hadn't held up well to reality at first, however.

I hadn't been stupid enough to try shooting myself with a blaster, even on a stun setting. Instead, I had used one of the training remotes I usually kept around for lightsaber practice. I'd just switched the settings around to fire on me without my lightsaber being active and had slowed it down to fire a bolt once every sixty seconds as a start. Even on a lighter setting, those training blasts still stung a bit. I'd kept practicing until my poor hands had looked like I'd left them sitting out under Tatooine's twin suns for a few hours and had developed a wicked sunburn.

Thankfully, my hands looked well enough and still worked just fine, even with the damage. I'd have these bandages off soon enough and everything would be fine. On the plus side, I was pretty sure I could do it. I just had to work on protecting my poor hands a bit more before trying this for real. Plus, all this practice will be useful for some other techniques I want to work on at a later time.

"If you're sure," Leia said, eyeing my hands suspiciously.

"I am," I assured her. "Please, take a seat."

I gestured towards the couch that sat against the far bulkhead in what I thought of the living room area of my new quarters. I had been reluctant to take Jack's place as my own, what with my still lingering feelings of wrongness since I was the one to kill him in this very room, but I had relented eventually. Biggs and Wedge had both told me that I had to take the captain's stateroom if I was going to be in charge. Not only would it send a weird message if I didn't but it's not like it was that much more extravagant than the other officer's quarters in terms of anything other than floor space or privacy.

Still, they were quarters aboard a ship, and a warship at that so there was only so much room. There was a living space with a sitting area consisting of a couch and two chairs as well as a desk near the door leading to the hallway. There was a private 'fresher with all the amenities one would expect as well as a private bedroom which was dominated by a sinfully comfortable bed and an absurdly large closet space.

Most of the decor was gone now but I and just about everyone else would be keeping the furniture, it seemed. Nobody seemed eager to replace the absurdly comfortable amenities aboard with more common military-grade counterparts. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if there were personnel keeping an eye out for anyone attempting to make off with a chair or mattress they'd already claimed for themselves.

"So what's this about?" Leia finally asked, making herself comfortable.

"I think it's time you and I had a conversation about the threat we face and what we need to think about going forward," I said, sitting in the armchair across from her.

"Oh?" Leia asked.

"It's about Palpatine and his true nature," I said seriously. "He's not what he appears to be."

"So he's not a murderous tyrant, pruning and weeding a garden of vipers, sycophants, and brainless fanatics?" Leia asked lightly.

"Well, he is," I admitted with a smirk. "But there's more to it than that. He's also a Sith. A very _powerful_ one too. His other name is Darth Sideous."

"A Sith?" Leia asked, looking surprised. "You're sure of that?"

"Absolutely," I confirmed. "You mean you didn't already know? I'm kind of surprised your father never told you as much."

"He told me what the Sith were," she muttered. "Not that it was hard to come across the name with the likes of Darth Vader around. You're saying he's like Vader? Another Sith Lord?"

"_The_ Sith Lord," I emphasized. "He's the one who converted and trained Vader. Before him, it was Dooku. Before him, it was Maul. And before that, _he_ was the apprentice to a fellow named Plagueis; the heir to a dark legacy stretching back millennia."

"Wait, wait," Leia said, holding up a hand to stop me. "Dooku? As in _Count_ Dooku? As in the leader of the Separatist movement?"

"And a former Jedi," I added. "He became dissatisfied with the Republic and the Jedi after a few important and messy events and struck out on his own, away from the order. One thing led to another and he ended up becoming the next apprentice before the Clone Wars broke out. Whether he intended to kill his master one day for the sake of the galaxy or whether his goals shifted at some point during the war is up for interpretation. What we know is that he was killed by the man who would later become Darth Vader."

"That's..." Leia trailed off, placing a hand on her head as if to ward off a coming migraine. "That's insane. I'm working through the implications here, so please bear with me. You're saying that Palpatine is a Sith. For how long?"

"Most of his life, I believe," I answered, becoming thoughtful as I considered when about he must have began his training. "Since his late teens or early twenties, I think."

"That long..." Leia whispered before her face turned from contemplative to angry. "And Dooku was his servant _after_ he left the Jedi and _before_ the Clone Wars?"

"It makes for some grim math, doesn't it?"

"So it wasn't just him using the war to his benefit," Leia continued, still looking angry. "You're telling me he was the mastermind. He played both sides to achieve the desired outcome. The one that _he_ benefited from."

Leia was now speaking as if those were statements and not questions.

"I don't suppose you have proof?"

"Not as such," I said regretfully. "Last time I checked, dreams and visions still weren't admissible in most galactic courts."

"No, they aren't."

"It's hard to explain to someone who isn't trained in the Force," I said. "But it does fill in a few holes, doesn't it? Like why Vader, who flaunts his power so frequently, is subservient to a man who plays himself like the kindly, yet geriatric grandfather."

"That is something many people have wondered about," Leia admitted. "There's been a lot of speculation about what would make a man like Vader subservient to Palpatine. This makes more sense than many of the theories that have been tossed around."

"How about the incredible series of events that propelled him to his current position? If Palpatine was a manipulative Sith Lord, pulling strings from the shadows, a lot more things start to make an uncomfortable amount of sense, don't they?"

"A rather uncomfortable amount of sense..." Leia muttered.

"Trust me; it only gets darker and more depressing the longer you think about it and the more you apply it to," I added. "Like how weirdly the Clone Wars were fought. How the Separatists, with their ready-to-go armies and fleets, were always kept from achieving their goals somehow by a Republic military that should have been scrambling to catch up. How there were new ships and armies ready to mobilize for the Republic almost as soon as the war started. How about how the Grand Army was so broken up into smaller units and divisions, there rarely seemed to be enough troops to get any one task done?"

"You're right," Leia broke in. "It does get more depressing the deeper you get into the topic."

"I'm not just telling you all of this to upset you," I assured her. "I'm telling you because I think it'd be a good idea to start fighting back on Palpatine's strongest front."

"What do you mean?"

"The Alliance has a good PR angle to work from. It's fighting to put down the evil empire and restore freedom and hope to the galaxy. With the Empire committing heinous crimes just about every day as a matter of practice, there's no shortage of people willing to listen. But knowing that Sideous is hiding this kind of thing, we can start putting events into a different context by filling in bits of missing information and letting people draw their own conclusions from them."

"Luke, why would people care?" Leia asked suddenly. "If Palpatine is a Sith, why would that matter to most people when he's already the Emperor? Even if we told everyone, the Empire controls the news and has always dominated in that field. How would you even begin to fight back in that regard?"

"You're right that Palpatine has dominated the media and has essentially written the narrative for decades," I agreed. "Breaking in on that front is going to be hard. It's _been_ hard. The Alliance has had a rough time getting its message out as it is. However, I believe this," I said, bringing out a datapad from my pocket and setting it on the table between us. "Will be a game changer. For once, we'll be striking Sideous instead of Palpatine. We'll be hitting him right where he won't be expecting to be hit."

"And you think you can accomplish this?" Leia asked seriously. "How?"

I placed my hand on the datapad I'd set down earlier and slid it across the table to her.

"Have a look."

Looking at it and me curiously, Leia picked up the datapad and turned it on. She read the first line aloud with a trace of confusion and incredulity in her voice.

"'The Renaissance Man?'" she read aloud.

"Mon Mothma is a terrific writer," I commented. "Her publications she put out at the start of the Alliance, 'A Call to Reason,' made for fascinating reading. I intend to pick up that trend and bring it back, even stronger. Writing under a pseudonym, we can start distributing not just anti-Imperial literature but anti-Sith literature. Start telling people about the corruptive nature of the Dark Side and how warped many of its practitioners are. Using knowledge of the Force, presented in plain basic for anyone to understand, we'll be shining a light on a part of Palpatine's rule that he's worked very hard to keep secretive."

As I was speaking, Leia alternated between looking at me and scrolling through the short essay I had handed her. Once I finished, her attention was focused on the datapad in her hands as she skimmed through it and gauged it for its worth.

"It... certainly makes for an interesting read," she eventually said.

"That's the intention," I said, smiling.

She set the datapad down on the table abruptly. Placing her hands in her lap, she gave me a serious look.

"Luke, how exactly is it you know all of this?" she asked.

_'Ah,'_ I thought. _'Here we go.'_

"I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told you Kenobi told it to me?" I asked.

"No, I wouldn't," she affirmed. "For one, you're dodging the question. For another, you've shown a remarkable level of insight whenever you've pitched one of your ideas to me. General Kenobi hasn't shown that in any of the conversations I've had with him, so I don't think it's a Jedi thing. I've seen it when you've talked with others too. Mostly with General Dodonna and with Han. So I'm asking; what's going on?"

"Would you believe that the short answer is 'the Force?'"

Leia gave me a very unimpressed look as I held up my hands and shrugged.

"Really, I don't know a better way to put it, Leia," I told her. "You know that I'm Force sensitive and I've been trained by Kenobi. Well... there is a bit more to it than that. _I_ was the one who sought out _Kenobi_. Because I knew exactly who and what he was. Just like I knew who _you_ were when you drew your blaster on me behind that sandcrawler."

"How?" she pressed.

"When I was fifteen," I began. "I came down with what my aunt and uncle thought was a serious fever. Except, it wasn't. At least, it wasn't just a fever. I experienced what many Force sensitives would call a vision, except mine lasted far longer than any vision that any of them would be familiar with. When I woke up, I saw... so much. Not everything, but a lot. It was like the galaxy had poured itself through my mind like water from a jug and had left droplets of moisture, of knowledge behind."

"So you saw the future?" she asked.

"And the past," I elaborated. "And things that could have been as well as things that never were or will be. It was like... a big puzzle. I had to sort through the pieces and discern what was useful from what wasn't. Some of it I'm _still_ pretty sure is useless, but suppose it is meant to provide context at least. Here and now, I am putting to use the pieces I have and using them to the greatest effect. In that way, I suppose it's more like dejarik than a puzzle..."

"Say I believe all of this," Leia hedged and pointed to the datapad on the table. "What makes you sure that _this_ is true? That Palpatine is a Sith?"

"Because I had Kenobi confirm it for me," I told her, tapping a finger against the side of my head. "And there is no information up here that says otherwise. There's enough info that's peripherally accurate that I have no doubt that Palpatine is the mastermind to many galactic travesties over the last few decades. Knowing this, I intend to fight back with more than just an X-wing or a lightsaber. I also intend to beat him at his own game; information. And what's even better is that I'll do it by telling the truth."

Leia stared at me for a long moment.

I stared back.

Eventually, she sighed and rubbed her temples with her fingertips and closed her eyes. I waited for her to say something before I continued.

"I'm pretty sure this is the part where I'm supposed to call you crazy," Leia said at last. "Maybe check that bottle you drank from yesterday for spice or hallucinogens of some kind."

"You also drank from that same bottle," I noted, amused.

"Which might be why I'm inclined to take you seriously about all of this," she replied with a sigh. "Maybe I'm feeling the effects of whatever it is too."

"But you don't really think so," I pointed out.

"No," she admitted. "You've been too lucid, too _right_ for me to just dismiss you as crazy. Like that device you'd insisted on carrying with you aboard the Death Star. It was like you'd expected to need it well in advance. I had worried, once or twice, that you might have been some kind of spy. For whom, I had no idea. But that theory never seemed to really hold up to serious consideration."

"I'm on your side, Leia," I insisted. "And I want to prove it again to you, if I can."

"And I believe we're on the same side too," she acknowledged. "Some of that might be instinct but I can tell you're being at least mostly honest with me."

I shrugged, not wanting to acknowledge that I really was only being _mostly_ honest in this conversation. Perhaps Leia noticed this or perhaps she didn't, but she chose not to press the point right now in either case.

"I still have questions," she stated, raising and pointing a finger at me.

"And I'll be happy to answer what I can," I replied.

We spent another hour talking before calling it a night. She did indeed have more questions and I was able to answer most of them. I didn't tell her _everything_ though. This was a lot for any one person to take in and I didn't want to overwhelm her right now. There'd be time to discuss family relations at a later date.

I hadn't even really lied here, if you looked at it from a certain point of view. For all I know, everything I said to her was completely true. And at worst, it was the truth condensed down into a form that she'd be willing to accept. Perhaps there was some greater power at work or some underlying mystery as to who I was, am, or used to be. Or perhaps it didn't matter either way. I am me, I am here, it is now, and I had plenty enough to deal with without adding on an existential crisis.

For now, I was happy with the progress we'd made here.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_One Week Later..._

"This exercise will be focused on moving in tighter formations and splitting to confuse enemy tracking systems," I lectured. "Stick with your wingmates and follow the direction of Lieutenants Antilles and Darklighter. Fighters will once again launch under emergency scramble protocols. I know you're probably sick of those drills by now, but it's imperative we know them so well as to do them in our sleep. I'm confident we can shave at least thirty more seconds off of our best times by the end of the day. Any questions?"

Looking into the crowd of assembled pilots, I saw nobody raise a hand and didn't sense anything more than the usual mix of boredom and apprehension that I'd come to associate with these flight drills. Taking the lack of response as a 'no,' I decided to wrap this up.

"Alright," I said. "Let's get it done. Dismissed."

There was a slow trickle of pilots leaving out the back of the briefing room now that we had finished. As the last of them filed out, I let out a big sigh I had been holding back and shuffled a few sheets of loose flimsy that had been left sitting on the podium I was using.

We'd been at this for nearly a week now and I'd be lying if I said things weren't getting a bit old. But, it was necessary to break in the new pilots and crew members before we went charging into the action again. Even the most eager among us had to admit that these things had a learning curve to them and the practice drills we were doing had shown some positive results.

Still standing behind the podium, I rolled my shoulders as my mind wandered back to that big debrief with Dodonna and the other officers a week ago.

After we'd returned to Alliance territory with the Venator, the loot, some prisoners, and a new potential recruits, I'd found myself in a debrief with Dodonna and several other officers, including a very pissed looking Commander Pye'ke.

Needless to say, the reactions were _mostly_ positive, given our outstanding success. A new warship, even one that was technically a pirate vessel, was still an incredibly valuable commodity. Everyone was excited at the idea of at least looting the ship for parts or allocating it to the sector's fleet forces. I immediately put a stop to that line of conversation when I declared that it was already being slated for a new command. Mine, specifically.

That had drawn some frowns, including one ferocious glare from the implacable Commander Pye'ke, as many had apparently been under the impression that the ship was either going to be stripped for parts or otherwise gifted to one of the several understrength fleets in the Alliance Navy. Some had even argued that we didn't have any Venators in the Alliance fleet for a reason and that it would be absurd to try and keep just the one.

However, I had talked with Dodonna before embarking on this mission. In detail, I listed my plan for how to best utilize the captured ship. As the author of the Alliance's outrageously successful starfighter doctrine, he had been interested at first and then excited as our conversation delved into how to use the ship as a dedicated carrier and mobile strike platform. While Dodonna's original ideas had stemmed from utilizing hyperspace capable fighters to their greatest effect, mine was to use a Venator as a launch platform for X-wings, Y-wings, and even A-wings with their tiny and limited jump capacity. The ability to deploy directly from the _Resurgent_ would greatly increase the number of targets we could strike against.

This also brought on a topic I found slightly baffling in the Star Wars universe; everyone seemed ready to underestimate the Venator. It was a decent design and filled an important role when it first rolled out of production, but the Empire was so quick to decommission and pass off the leftovers from the Clone Wars, one might think that its successor vessel, the Imperial-class, had to be a fundamentally better ship.

Except, it wasn't. At least, not in the same ways.

Imperial-class Star Destroyers were iconic. Massive, bristling with turbolaser and ion batteries, heavy armor and shields, they cut right through enemy formations with their iconic wedge shape. They're ship killers, plain and simple. Meant to throw down with anything that gets in their way and usually come out alright at the end of the engagement.

However, they didn't boast nearly the same carrying capacity of the Venator-class. Neither in terms of fighter squadrons, nor in troops and materials. The Venators didn't have nearly the same amount of firepower, granted, but they could be much more than front line battleships like they had been mostly used as during the Clone Wars. I saw tremendous potential and was motivated by my special knowledge as I had described it in relatable terms to Dodonna.

It wasn't until Earth's second world war that people began seeing the potential of carriers as warships. The Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway, and numerous other engagements backed up what I was aiming for here. When used properly, carriers could operate in a special role that placed them in a category completely other than those of standard warships. While the Alliance had scratched the surface with their use of Quasars and Carracks, I argued that it was time the Alliance explored a more dedicated and upscale version of something they had already realized; our starfighter corps was one of our greatest assets.

Of course, convincing one man of something he had already pretty much realized himself was fairly easy. Convincing a bunch of others over the objection that they weren't going to be getting a new warship so that instead, some upstart farm boy who thought he was a commander could test out his new idea about space warfare was a bit trickier.

To be honest, I didn't think I'd be getting my way here if I didn't have the backing of both Kenobi and Dodonna. While he was acquainting himself with his duties, Kenobi had also done me a huge favor by endorsing me and my ideas. While a few people were leery of allowing someone untested into a position holding such responsibility, the precedent already existed with how Jedi were granted officer roles during the Clone Wars. True, many of them didn't excel in their positions but an endorsement from the famed 'Negotiator' helped assuage many of those concerns. At some point, I'd have to find some way to thank my teacher for his help.

Not that Dodonna's support was anything to scoff at. The famed author of the Alliance's starfighter doctrine had a lot of weight attached to his name. He'd successfully coordinated operations against numerous Imperial targets, including half-finished star destroyers caught in dry dock. Victories such as those were what really kept the Alliance going strong, since the Empire couldn't easily hide losses so severe and word of them always spurred hope and better recruitment numbers. When I'd pitched to him the idea of recreating those feats and even surpassing his results with the _Resurgent_ as the perfect platform to do so from, he was so enthused by the idea that I had momentarily wondered if he'd want to take command of the _Resurgent_ himself. He didn't offer or even suggest it, but I was still wondering how I'd feel about it if he did or what ripples it might cause.

Combined with my miracle shot on the Death Star, the outrageous success in eliminating a pirate lord, freeing a bunch of slaves, and capturing a Venator intact, I was the Alliance's newest rising star. It boded well for my plans going forward that I was getting my way but it was also stressing me the hell out from time to time. With my new rank came actual responsibilities that I was working hard to adapt to, if only to keep others from the impression that I was in way over my head with all of this.

Commander Pye'ke in particular wasn't making it easy, as he seemed especially pissed he had to refer to me as 'Commander Skywalker' now. While he didn't go so far as to confront me openly about it, he'd been as uncooperative and as snide as he could get away with being whenever we had to interact. I'd resorted to audio-only transmissions whenever feasible. I was getting eager to get this ship cleared to operate on her own soon, if only to get away from the snide bastard.

A nice consolation we'd gotten was that much of the funds we'd secured from the pirates would be going to the newly established Rogue Cell. The artwork and much of the equipment would be passed off for the Alliance to do with as they pleased, but most of the actual funds would be ours to do with as we liked, as Dodonna had informed me.

_"You did the work, you get the spoils,"_ he'd phrased it.

I'd wasted little time working up a distribution chart for the credits. I'd decided that everyone would receive a small cut of the funds they'd helped acquire with only a slight marginal increase for the officers, squad leaders, and myself. It was a generous sum, if not the small fortune it might have been otherwise. A big portion of the funds had gone to providing for the new crew who had served as slaves before we'd arrived. Specifically, ensuring that they _had_ money to spend for themselves on things like clothing that wasn't Alliance fatigues or other personal items. Most of that funding actually went to ensuring that their accommodations were at least as good as everyone else's aboard.

Nobody had objected when I'd made that decision. Apart from the fact that it'd make them sound greedy if they did, it only took one look at the slaves' former living arrangements for everyone to decide that it was a worthy cause.

Suddenly, the ship's intercom cackled to life in preparation for an announcement.

_"The ship is now in emergency drill conditions,"_ the voice informed. _"Stand by for simulated alarms and orders."_

Which meant that the scramble alarm would be sounding sometime in the next fifteen minutes or so. Sighing one last time, I finally exited the briefing room and decided to wander the ship's corridors before the announcement came. The point of these drills was to get everyone accustomed to running for the hangar deck or their assigned battle stations from wherever they might be on the ship and at a moment's notice. I _could_ just hang out near the hangar deck, but that would ruin the spirit of the drill and be rather hypocritical since I'd already made a point to discourage people from doing exactly that.

_'Once more unto the breach,'_ I thought, awaiting the inevitable start of this next launch.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_Yet Another Week Goes By..._

"I'm sure you'll all be happy to know that we'll be redeploying soon to meet up with the supply ship and the rest of the equipment we've been granted by Alliance Command. We'll also be picking up the rest of the personnel we've been allotted. From there, we'll begin operations against Imperial shipping and targets of opportunity."

There were excited faces in the conference room as I informed the ranking members of our group of our plans. Everyone had been working hard at getting settled in and preparing the ship for active duty. There was a slow tension building among a lot of the crew as to when and where we'd be hitting Imperial targets again but that was to be expected.

"Sir," Lieutenant Makks, the olive skinned human I'd met who was in charge of Aurek Squad spoke up. "Have we gotten all of the parts and equipment we've requested?"

"Not all of it," I replied unhappily. "We're not the only asset the Alliance has to fund and supply. That, and we have a problem due to the fact that there aren't any other Venators in the Alliance Fleet. Some parts are just going to be a pain to come by, to say nothing for replacement parts for the interdiction field generator. But don't worry," I hastened to add. "I've asked someone to look into some leads on some parts we can get our hands on. If it pans out how I think, we should have all of the parts and spare equipment we'll need for the foreseeable future."

Not that I intended to _pay_ for said items, but that didn't have to be said. The only properties with Venators these days were all owned by Imperial corporations or territories. I'm pretty sure from my memories that the Corporate Sector managed to hang on to a couple of them but the only way I'd deal with them was if we were flat out of options and were able to pay what would surly be obscene fees.

"Have we gotten any useful intel on where we'll begin, boss?" Wedge asked.

"We have," I confirmed. "Intelligence jumped at the chance for us to intercept unguarded shipments in the depths of hyperspace where they'd be caught without support. Shipping schedules are being acquired and we'll be notified soon of where they want us to begin. Presumably, whichever shipments are carrying whatever the Alliance needs most and whatever it'd hurt the Empire most to lose."

There were accepting nods all around at that. While some may balk at the idea of using this ship to steal and leech off of the Empire, it was an undeniable fact of life that the Alliance military survived largely in part to what it managed to take from the Empire. Not every mission could be a critical strike against fleet or planetary assets.

"Barring any surprises or accidents," I went on. "We'll be getting underway in approximately six hours from now. Are there any more questions?"

There weren't.

"Then let's get this show on the road, people."

**AN: I am obligated to inform you all that one of your fellow readers, Yexius, called this before it came up in the story. I actually originally decided to call the Venator the _Redeemer_, but the _Resurgent_ just sounded better when I thought about it. I literally had written the change a day before he left the review calling it, so that's some damn amazing timing.**

**Happy Star Wars Day, everyone! **

**I wanted to get this one out as quickly as possible to celebrate the day and give you all a nice little something to read. I might do a little touching up later, maybe in formatting too, but what you see is basically what you get. I'm thinking we'll have two more chapters of original content. After that, we'll be hitting the main story again with events that some of you should recognize.**

**So, Renaissance Man? That name is definitely a joke but the idea is entirely serious. I thought it would be interesting to see if there was a recurring writer of anti-Sith propaganda who was more than willing to discuss the faults in this mysterious and highly flawed cult that's been around for millennia. Now, before you call me a Jedi Fanboy, let me be clear that this is targeted at Sideous and his practices as the Lord of the Sith. I'm not an ardent supporter of the 'Jedi way' by any means. What I do think is while the Jedi aren't perfect, they're still a step above the psycho behavior we see in many Sith and openly encouraged by Palpatine.**

**This story has _rocketed _to the top of the rankings! I am stunned and amazed by the outpouring of support you guys have shown and just want to say thank you for all of your kind words and support by following this story! It has been a blast writing for you guys and I look forward to doing so for some time to come!**

**Until next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan written story. Star Wars or any of the associated properties mentioned in this story are all owned by Disney and their respective companies, authors and/or corporations. This is purely a work of fiction written for pleasure and nonprofit. Please support the official release.**

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**Skywalker: Resurgent Ch.10: Fighting Over a Graveyard**

"Contacts! Contacts at the ambush point!"

"Calmly, sensors," the captain chided, not taking his eyes off of the tactical display. "Numbers and classifications?"

"Yes sir," the sensor operator said nervously. "Three transports, Imperial transponders. All three have been pulled out of hyperspace at the expected chokepoint."

"Very good," was the response. "Comms, broadcast our demand of surrender on an open channel. Then order capture teams to standby."

"Aye sir, broadcasting now."

I stood watching all of this take place as my new naval captain gave orders to the bridge crew. Once again, I was glad for how things had turned out with my new crew selection.

One of the things that I had freely admitted to Dodonna was that I had absolutely no idea how to run or command a warship. I could fly a fighter and make a passable impression of leading troops or fighter wings into combat but running the day to day operations of a warship was something I had no training in or concept for.

Enter my counterpart for running the _Resurgent_ and Rogue Cell; Captain Elpall Shin.

A former Imperial hailing from the Core Worlds, Shin was an aged, pale man of average height. He had a shaved head and a thin, black mustache. He seemed to have a default expression of either boredom or sleepiness on his face, but I'd quickly learned that was a misleading trait and that the man was always alert and highly perceptive. He came from a Core World, Andara, and had reached the rank of lieutenant in the Imperial Navy when he'd chosen to defect to the Alliance. I didn't really know the details and his file didn't list them, but he had been with the Alliance for three years so far and had earned enough trust and recognition to be promoted to captain.

Truthfully, I hadn't had much of a choice in who to accept as my ship's naval commander. I actually suspected that I was being forced into accepting one of a small list of candidates presented to me as 'choices.' Whether it was the Alliance's way of getting someone aboard the Resurgent to keep an eye on me or some kind of sabotage, perhaps perpetrated by a still steaming Commander Pye'ke, I wasn't sure. In either case, I was happy enough with whom I ended up with.

Captain Shin hadn't sought to challenge my authority upon arrival and had done great work in getting the ship's naval crew up to his standards. He came off as stern, but not unfair whenever I'd seen him handle his subordinates. He'd also made it clear to me that while he acknowledged I was in overall command, he'd wanted my assurance that I would not seek to undermine him as the ship's day-to-day commander in regards to daily function or especially in combat. I gave him my word that I would yield to his experience in naval affairs, but asked him to do the same and not undermine my own authority with the pilots or other personnel. He'd agreed, and there'd been little trouble between us since then.

Today was a good example of how we normally worked. He took care of the crew and in handling the ship while I stood nearby and either ready for my own role or simply observing. Mostly, my job here was handling the pilots when necessary and giving direction whenever I was here and not in a cockpit myself. There was only a need for so many pilots at once for an operation like this and I wanted the other pilots to get a chance to practice as well. Admittedly, I was also learning quite a bit by being on the command bridge and watching Captain Shin in action. He was calm in his command and wasn't the stereotypical 'screamer' when one of his subordinates did something to displease him.

"Transport Three is running," reported the sensor station.

"Acknowledged," Captain Shin said. "Signal for Flight Control to handle an intercept and stop them."

"Yes, sir."

A few moments later, I nodded approvingly as I saw two of the six X-wings break from their position and chase after the much slower transport. They'd done well to wait for orders to move and not just blindly rush off as soon as they saw something happening. One of the things I had been working to actively discourage was for any of my pilots to develop tunnel vision or to become glory hounds, which was a serious problem if left unchecked. There were stories of American pilots falling victim to this effect during Earth's second world war and subsequently leading to many unnecessary losses. While I certainly didn't want to discourage creative thinking or boldness in any of my guys, there was a reason militaries emphasized discipline in combat.

Rogue Nine and Twelve quickly caught up with the transport. Making a close pass over their bow, the two came around for another pass on the stern of the ship. Seeing as the ship wasn't going to be easily deterred, Rogue Twelve fired several shots into the ship's engines. Overcoming the civilian ship's weak shields, the shots blew out one of the transport's two main propulsion units. Spitting fire and smoke, the damaged ship chose to finally obey the demand to surrender and shut down it's remaining engine.

Captain Shin ordered the ship closer and for tractor beams to activated to bring in the damaged transport closer to the other two. I waited until the boarding craft had launched and there was a lull in bridge activity before speaking my thoughts aloud.

"Well done, captain," I said, loudly enough to be heard by the other personnel nearby. "Another successful capture. The crew seems to be shaping up extremely well up here."

"I've certainly found myself with fewer complaints, sir," Shin drawled in his prim Core Worlder accent. "Though this is hardly a test of their skills, I hold every confidence that they are learning to do their jobs well."

"I agree," I nodded, noting the pleased looks of the nearby crewmen as they heard us. I may not have been able to learn all of their names and stories, but they were all my responsibility now. That meant that their performance and morale was always one of my concerns these days. It certainly didn't hurt to let the occasional bit of obvious praise 'slip' while in their presence either.

Looking back at the holographic display, I saw that the first transport had just been boarded without incident.

"Now," I continued. "Let's see exactly what we've acquired today."

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

"Foodstuffs, sir."

"Food?" I repeated. "That's all you've found?"

"Yes sir," Makks reported. "Squads are reporting the same for all three ships. Lots of military rations but also dried meats and preserved stuff too."

I frowned at the small holo of the leader of the boarding teams. Makks was really coming into his own as he stepped up in his original duties as leader of Aurek squad and today was no different. They had done their jobs and hadn't reported any casualties from either our people or the ships' crews. My frown wasn't directed at him, so much as what he had to report from his boarding teams.

"Very well, captain," I acknowledged. "Please convey my appreciation to your men for their work today. You've all done well."

"Thank you, sir!" the young captain said, snapping off a sharp salute.

I returned the gesture before turning off the holocomm at the terminal and deciding to depart the bridge for now. I gave my congratulations to the members of the bridge crew I passed on my way to the turbolift before entering it and beginning my journey back to my quarters/office. As I strolled through the ship's corridors, my mind pondered what this meant.

We'd done this same song and dance six times now. Today marked the seventh convoy we'd intercepted and the fifth one to be carrying primarily food. Sure, there were a few other things mixed in that we'd taken but nothing significant or in nearly enough quantities to justify a raid if they were the objective. We had probably stolen enough food to feed a decently sized army.

Was the Alliance that short on supplies? There had to be more useful places we could be, more valuable targets we could strike at. Was this just Alliance Command's way of giving us time to prove ourselves before sending us against more valuable targets? If so, why was food our primary takeaway from these raids? Most planets were perfectly capable of feeding themselves without outside support. For an armed resistance, why were we not focusing on medical supplies or weapons? Even if Command was nervous about putting us up against imperial warships, we could still be put to better use elsewhere. We were well past the point where I'd consider it just a coincidence that we were being fed intelligence that sent us after food convoys.

_'Perhaps I am being overeager,'_ I considered, sidestepping a cleaning droid as I walked. _'What's that old adage? 'Hurry up and wait?' We're bound to go up against harder targets eventually. Let's just hope our first real battle as a crew doesn't make me wish for the simpler days of raiding Imperial transports.'_

On a whim, I turned around and decided to pay a visit to Flight Control before heading back to my quarters. They were operating in a rather limited capacity as they trained and only had a limited number of assets to control. In time, I imagined their job would be far more hectic as we engaged in larger operations or performed in scenarios where timing and coordination would be crucial. Still, I figured it never hurt to let one's subordinates know you were watching or that you cared.

The door opened and I strode into the hub where there was still plenty of activity, even though there was little work to be done. The reason for this was the several instructors we had aboard were walking back and forth between the stations and questioning the crew on their duties and lecturing on how to handle a specific task. Soon, some of them would be departing once they'd passed on as much training as they were able while others had already garnered positions aboard and in other areas.

I passed several figures at work, nodding respectfully to each of them as they greeted me. I then walked over to a figure who was staring intently at several overhead monitors. Occasionally, they would make a remark into their own headset or to one of the seated crewmen in the operations areas. Waiting for an appropriate lull in activity, I reached out and tapped them gently on the shoulder to get their attention.

"Things going well on this end?" I asked.

Blue headtails turned to reveal the familiar face of Ms. Duella, serving as the flight coordinator for this operation.

Like the rest of the former slaves, she had traded in whatever rags or inappropriate outfit she'd been forced to wear and had donned an Alliance uniform. Since the Alliance was an admittedly ragtag group with a lot of clashing cultures and styles, 'uniform' was a rather loose concept in some cases. The Alliance actually offered a lot of leeway with what their personnel wore so long as it kept to the general Alliance colors and was appropriate for the job. In Duella's case, that meant off-white, almost cream colored shirt and trousers with tan accents at the sides. She seemed to favor a dark blue zip-up vest these days and a simple grey metal band that covered her forehead and rested on the small cone-like protrusions her species had in place of where humans had ears.

"Sir!" she greeted me, snapping a sharp salute.

I returned the gesture with a far more casual example of my own and a small chuckle.

"You know you don't have to do that while working, right?"I asked. "I understand if you're in the middle of something and can't be bothered."

"I know, sir," she said, looking a bit bashful as she dropped her arm. "But I've been practicing..."

"I can tell," I noted. "I'm just dropping by to check on things here. Everything go alright today?"

Duella brightened as she informed me of how well things were going with everyone's training. Something I'd noticed with her and just about all of the liberated slaves was how they had all seemed to come out of their shells as the weeks had passed. At first, it seemed they were too nervous to do much, likely afraid that they had only traded one taskmaster for another. But as time went on, they'd all begun to show more of themselves. It helped that even though the Alliance was a military organization, it was a surprisingly casual affair. The easygoing nature of the personnel was easy to see once its members were off duty and it helped build a more relaxed atmosphere.

The young twi'lek girl had surpassed any initial expectations I may have had for her. She had thrown herself into learning the basic skills that Alliance instructors had insisted on teaching the former slaves herself if any of them came up lacking in her eyes. She'd provided a lot of direction and had emerged as something of a natural leader among that initial group. She'd been a big help in picking skills the former slaves had and was good at getting them positions well suited to them.

She in particular seemed pretty talented with communications gear and protocols and could usually be seen helping out here, in Flight Control. There was talk of her among the other Alliance members we'd taken aboard about her skills being recognized at some point. If she kept this up, and with her good rapport with many of the crew, we might just have to make her one of the ship's senior NCOs or maybe just get her a officer commission.

Duella finished up a tangent she was on about the mess deck personnel learning to create better meals out of ration packs when I decided to sneak in a few words for myself.

"That's good," I replied. "And how are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm fine, sir!" she answered easily. "I've been spending some of my off hours hanging out with the damage control guys and learning a bit about how they operate. It's useful and fascinating stuff!"

"It is," I agreed. "But you don't need to push yourself so hard, y'know? You've been running around like a madwoman for so long, I sometimes wonder if you're in two places at once. I for one appreciate all the effort you've been putting in but you're allowed to take it easy once in awhile."

"I know I don't have to," Duella replied with a sheepish expression on her face. "I just really wanted to. There's plenty to learn and always something to do and I'm just happy to throw myself into it. I promise, I'm really enjoying myself!"

"Well, alright then," I relented. "Just promise that you'll be careful not to burn yourself out, alright? I haven't had to order anyone to bed after working too hard and I'd rather not have you be the first one."

Duella suddenly grinned mischievously as she pretended to fan herself with her hand.

"Oh my, commander," she tittered. "If you feel the need to order me to bed, could you at least give me some advance notice? I'm a busy gal these days."

I rolled my eyes, knowing she was just kidding. I'd found that Duella had a bit of a bawdy sense of humor that showed itself at unexpected times. The first time she'd done it near me, she made an unexpected remark about her own uniform and I'd nearly tripped over my own feet in surprise. I'm not sure if it was a twi'lek thing or just a Duella thing but I decided that the best way to deal with it was to just let is slide and not to take such remarks too seriously. I especially didn't want to shut her down if this was just her way of expressing herself around people she trusted. I was about ninety-nine percent sure she was just saying it for the laughs it got out of people.

At least... I'm _pretty_ sure that it was just a joke.

"Funny," I replied flatly. "Keep making comments like that and I'll have to promote you to ship's jester. It'll be one more qualification we can add to your name on top of all the others you keep picking up."

Duella beamed, shamelessly pleased with herself. She then turned her head to look towards a crewman who seemed to be calling for her attention.

"Looks like they need me to get back to it," she remarked. "Is there anything else I can help you with, commander?"

I'd actually gotten a lot more information than I had initially asked for, but decided not to say anything. Her enthusiasm for making sure this ship ran as smooth as possible was an undeniably endearing asset. I wish I had a hundred more just like her.

"No, that will be all," I answered. "Thanks for the chat, crewman."

Duella smiled brightly again and saluted one more time before turning to tackle whatever else was demanding her attention. I decided to stop bothering everyone and let them get back to work. Heading to the turbolift, I punched in my destination on the panel as the door slid shut in front of me.

_'If that young lady were any more passionate about her job,'_ I thought to myself. _'I'd probably have to give up command and just put her in charge of the whole damn ship. We'd likely conquer the whole sector in less than a month.'_

I let out an amused huff as I imagined the young twi'lek's reaction to just being granted a commission, let alone her own ship to command.

Maybe someday...

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_The Next Day..._

Leia met us at the rendezvous the next day. While the rest of the crew was offloading the spoils of our operations, she had some good news to convey to me personally.

"Your idea for publishing your writing through Alliance network connections has been granted provisional approval by the Alliance Council," Leia informed me.

I smiled and nodded gratefully to her at the news.

Truthfully, I was glad to have the assistance of the Alliance in this matter. While I technically didn't need them to write and distribute my stuff, I couldn't deny that the Alliance's ability to circumvent imperial censorship and reach a wider audience would make gaining an audience a thousand times easier than it would be otherwise. For example; how many people write their opinions on the internet just on Earth? That was just one world. The holonet had trillions more users on it every day. Besides that, since my writing was ultimately detrimental to the Empire, it wasn't so hard for the Alliance to agree to including it in their usual publicity postings.

"You said 'provisionally approved,'" I noted.

Leia nodded, understanding my question.

"Everything you write will have to go through an overview process to ensure that nothing anti-Alliance or detrimental to the cause is distributed. Final approval will have to go to at least one member of the Command Council before being sent through the secure networks."

I frowned as Leia explained the stipulations. She must have caught the expression, as she was quick to reassure me a moment later.

"I know it doesn't sound particularly appealing," Leia admitted. "But you can't just expect them to put out potentially sensitive information over Alliance networks without some kind of approval."

"Understandable," I replied. "I suppose I just don't like the idea of someone editing what I'm writing. If just a few words are changed for the sake of making a dig at the Emperor or at the Empire as a whole, it could compromise the whole work and make people dismiss it as another source of rebel propaganda. I really want this to be a more non-biased source of publication."

"I understand that," Leia assured me. "And I said as much to Mon Mothma when presenting it. She's fully on board with that sentiment."

"She is?" I asked, surprised.

"She'll be the one reviewing what you write before it gets published," she informed me. "I told her what you told me; that you want to pick up where she left off with her initial publications and she was flattered. She was easily the strongest supporter you had in the room after me."

I think I was a bit starstruck at the idea of that. While I didn't exactly idolize Mon Mothma, I did do a lot of research on her as well as numerous other figures I could think of. She had a very impressive career and struck me as a very well-spoken and upright figure in a government otherwise rife with indifference and corruption. Her writings in 'A Call to Reason' and the Deceleration of Rebellion reminded me heavily of the works of Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson with just a hint of Rudolf Steiner mixed in. I didn't automatically agree with everything she said or did but I certainly respected her for what she's already done, if not for what she may still do in the future.

"I suppose if I have to have an editor, I couldn't ask for a better one," I admitted aloud. "Was there something else?"

Leia had seemed a bit fidgety since she'd come aboard and I hadn't chosen to comment on it until now. A quick probe through the Force told me that something heavy was on her mind, although I had no idea what it could be.

"Luke," she began. "I've been helping you with your own projects for awhile now. Don't get me wrong; I've been happy to do so. You've more than made up for any sense of doubt anyone might have had through your ability to produce results."

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming," I remarked.

"But now I'm going to ask you to return the favor," Leia frowned. Her face took on a more controlled expression as she continued. "I want you to go back to Alderaan."

"Alderaan?" I asked, surprised.

"There are likely still survivors," she insisted. "Areas that may have mostly survived the moon debris impacting the surface or people who were able to get underground and avoid the worst of the shock waves. Alliance Command agrees that it's worth looking into. The Empire seems content to just let the planet wither and die, but not me. Not the Alliance. We can try to locate shelters or places where survivors managed to ride out the debris from the moon. If they're there, we'll extract them and bring them somewhere safe."

"And that's why you want me," I realized aloud. "The _Resurgent_ can enter the atmosphere and more easily take on refugees."

I could almost _see_ the emotional pang in Leia at my choice of words and felt like kicking myself for them. I didn't know what else I might call them but I could try to be more sensitive about it. It had to be killing her inside that her planet was a wasteland and anyone left must be suffering while having to eke out survival on the blasted and scarred surface.

"Even with all the dust and debris still in the way, your ship's specs say you can still power through it," Leia insisted. "And there's something else. A set of coordinates I know about that might have something at them."

"Something?" I asked leadingly.

"I don't know what it is," she admitted. "Only that it exists. I was offworld too much of the time doing work for the Senate and couldn't risk a direct message regarding it with my father. Even in conversations, we had to be careful. All I know for sure is that it's some kind of cache or bunker my father informed me about in the event that disaster hit the planet. He wanted me to be able to find it and for whatever was in there to go to the Alliance if anything happened to him or Alderaan. It's on land owned by the royal family. Maybe it's a shelter of some kind, maybe..."

Leia trailed off, not finishing her sentence. She didn't have to and I didn't need the Force for me to figure out what she was likely thinking.

_'Maybe my parents are still alive and that's where they are,'_ I finished mentally.

"Have you got a plan?" I asked next. "Are we getting reinforcements or are we to go in alone?"

"We'll be getting everything we can throw at them if that's what it takes," she confirmed. "Ships with as much carrying capacity as we can get and as quickly as we can assemble them. We've already been accumulating supplies and arranging shelters along the Outer Rim. You and your people have been a big help in that regard."

"Those food convoys we've been raiding," I mentioned, nodding.

"Exactly. A lot of it was military rations and will serve just as well feeding anyone we rescue. Imperial garrisons and populated worlds have stocks enough for their local garrison if their supplies run low. We're not depriving anyone of a meal and the people of Alderaan desperately need these supplies. Given how the Empire is responsible for the state of Alderaan, I don't think it's too much to requisition their rations until we can get the survivors settled elsewhere."

"Don't forget, I've actually tried Imperial ration packs," I responded dryly. "You're not depriving anyone of a meal that they'll miss."

"My sentiments exactly," Leia responded with a weak smile of her own.

Behind that expression, I could sense just how on edge Leia was. She was really banking on me saying that I'd help. Unsurprisingly, doing this meant everything to her right now. I wondered, not for the first time, if Alderaan still existing in some form was more painful for her than if it had been destroyed completely by the Death Star. Now, she had something to fixate on. Something to work herself to the bone for. Hope could be a powerful thing for people to cling to in times of doubt and darkness but it could also be a cruelty all its own when we focus on nothing else.

In the privacy of my own mind, I cursed Tarkin and Sideous once again for their utter stupidity and cruelty. Like petty children, not content to simply be the biggest bullies on the playground, they felt the need to remind others of their position as they inflicted further pain upon others. Never mind that they controlled the planet lock, stock, and barrel. No, they needed an example. Something to remind every world from the most powerful to the most backwater why stepping so much as a centimetre out of line isn't tolerated. Because their twisted minds couldn't comprehend a galaxy where they didn't need to constantly assert their dominance over others.

But I digress these old thoughts. Tarkin was dead and the time when old Palps would get his comeuppance would come soon enough. Right now my friend, my _sister,_ needed my help and I couldn't think of any good reason to turn her down.

"Let me call a meeting," I offered. "Let's hear what you've got so far and we'll work out the details."

And so we did.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_Three Days Later..._

We came out of hyperspace a bit further out than typical traffic in the system did. Barely a few light-seconds in from the edge of the system, we wanted to make sure we didn't drop into an ambush and gave ourselves plenty of distance to both evaluate the tactical situation and give the _Resurgent_ plenty of breathing room. The last time I had been here, there had been three Imperial-class Star Destroyers as well as the damned Death Star hanging around. Intel had fluctuated with the expected numbers for Imperial forces in the system and it seemed we'd hit the lower end of their estimate.

Only one star destroyer hung in a high orbital position over Alderaan with several fighter patrols making laps through the system in pattern that placed them between us and their capital ship. The star destroyer itself was outside of the new debris field that circled the planet but still positioned over the planet's northern ice cap like a large dagger, as if it were holding the planet itself hostage and would inflict further harm upon it if anyone dared to try and come close.

I'd like to see them try.

They didn't even bother with trying to hail us or with a demand for surrender before turning their ship towards us. Hardly surprising, really. During the overhaul of the Resurgent, we'd scraped the skull design off of the outer hull. Instead, we replaced it with the classic red Alliance Starbird. While a bold statement, it also made damn clear that we weren't just some pirate scum like the ones we'd taken this ship from. Any Imperial who saw us would be able to quickly identify who we were with and probably attack on sight. Even if it was sure to draw the ire of Imperials everywhere, I rather liked the audacity of flying the Alliance's symbol on such a scale.

It didn't hurt that the crew also seemed to love it.

Upon confirming all of the targets in system, we launched fighters and bombers. Once complete, I began issuing orders.

"Dagger squadron, split up and take out those pickets. Do not enter engagement range of that star destroyer but do everything to make sure those pickets don't make it back either."

_"We're on it, Rogue Leader,"_ a jaunty female voice replied, the leader of the ten A-wings we had aboard.

"Cloak Squadron, stand by for your bombing run. Target priority will be shields, secondary will be engines. Rogue Squadron will cut you a path right to your objective."

_"This is Cloak One, standing by for your order, Rogue One,"_ came a prim male voice, commanding the twelve Y-wings attached to our force.

Taking down the shields would give us a huge advantage in the engagement, but so would taking out the engines and thus making it impossible for them to make an intercept with the _Resurgent_. At least, one on their terms. Speaking of, Captain Shin knew his role in this fight and we'd gone over the details several times. Nevertheless, we weren't one hundred percent sure what our opposition here would look like until we arrived in system.

"Rogue One to Resurgent Actual," I commed.

_"This is Resurgent Actual. Go ahead, Rogue One,"_ came the reply a few seconds later.

"No other targets have made themselves known," I spoke. "Looks like we've got only the one ISD for the moment. We'll make sure to soften it up for you and give you an opportunity to swoop in unopposed. Until then, I'll trust you to play coy until an opportunity presents itself."

_"Copy, Rogue One,"_ Shin replied. _"We'll make sure to arrive in the nick of time to take all of the glory of the kill for ourselves. Reinforcements are standing by just out of system if needed."_

I smiled wryly at Shin's dry humor and his reminder that we could bring in more firepower if necessary. I knew he'd suggested simply doing so if we encountered limited forces upon arrival and I hadn't dismissed his idea right away. Just the one ISD was certainly well within our ability to handle if we hit it all at once. Shin had actually smiled when I'd given him my biggest reason for not showing our hand by coming in all at once and just taking the system by force;

"We don't want to scare them off now, do we?"

If the captain of that ship encountered a much greater force than his own entering the system, he would certainly choose to retreat rather than doom his ship to a hopeless battle. He wouldn't even have to explain himself to his superiors if he was outnumbered by enough ships. He'd simply sound the alarm that there was a rebel fleet at Alderaan and return with a much greater force at his back. One that we really couldn't afford or hope to fight.

But if they saw only one ship? Older and far less heavily armed than one of the Empire's prestigious ISDs? He would likely be reprimanded if he ran from a fight under those circumstances. Even if he didn't serve under a high ranking admiral or moff who could easily get away with killing his subordinates like Vader could, Imperial officers weren't known for their forgiving or understanding nature. And besides that, we were likely to get more time in this system if there was no one left to run off and tell someone what we were doing here. Even if they got a transmission out reporting that they'd sighted an enemy ship, it wouldn't include how many of us were actually here if we took their ship out before calling in the rest of our forces. No, I was certain that our best move here would be to take the chance and take them down.

Still, the good captain Shin was ready to call for backup if we found ourselves in over our heads. That was good of him to be ready but I was confident we could manage just fine today without the extra assistance.

I watched on my scanner as the A-wings made contact with the first pickets and made short work of them. Standard TIEs were no match for Alliance fighters playing to their strengths and especially not unless they had a serious numbers advantage. The green blips on my scanner swept into range of the TIEs and dispatched them with almost contemptuous ease.

A-wings were ideal for this kind of work. Compact fighters with otherwise minimal staying capabilities, they excelled in anti-fighter roles and in quick strikes. They didn't have the sensors, firepower, shields, or hyperdrive of the X-wing but were deadly in their role as interceptors. Case and point as I watched the last of the TIE fighters vanish from scans.

"Good work, Daggers," I praised. "Pull back and reform at coordinates two-six by four-one. Rogue Squadron, Cloak Squadron, form up. Attack Pattern: Hammer. Cloaks, remember your spacing. Rogues, stick with your wingmen."

Shin had also asked if I was certain I wanted to be in a fighter during this engagement, given not only the risks involved to myself but the difficulties in coordinating a battle from a cockpit instead of a bridge. I had replied by pointing out that he was a far more experienced ship commander than I and that I could be of far more use in a cockpit than out of one today.

_"All fighters; be advised,"_ Duella's voice came over the fighter control frequency. _"Enemy star destroyer is turning and accelerating onto a fast intercept course with the_ Resurgent. _Additional TIEs have begun launching."_

True to her words, the star destroyer hadn't been sitting idle while the A-wings had been doing their work. It had turned onto an intercept course with the _Resurgent_ and had launched it's remaining fighters, which totaled one additional squadron. No bombers but they might've been holding those back, if they had any. The fighters were holding in formation beneath the ISD, moving in standard groups of three. They may pose a slight obstacle for our attack run but I wasn't too inclined to worry about it. This ISD's captain was behaving like a typical Imperial officer; readying to smash his opposition because he was sure he still held the bigger hammer.

The Imperial Naval Academy should be ashamed for teaching it's ship commanders to employ such limited thinking and calling it 'tactics.'

"Copy, Control," I responded. "We are maintaining our attack plan. Rogues, lock s-foils into attack position."

Switching my own fighter into the correct configuration, I observed the enemy's response.

Twelve TIEs had launched and had taken up formation around the star destroyer's bow. They were flying slow, in a staggered line formation and in groups of three while keeping pace with their capital ship. It looked like they intended to break our charge and maybe get a crack at the Y-wings as they blew past. A sound plan, in theory. However, it'd take more than a dozen added TIEs to stop what was coming their way.

"Closing in to contact," I called over the comms. "Rogues, pick your targets and prepare to hit the capital ship after. Cloaks, prepare to fire on any TIEs that attempt to break past us."

No sooner had I finished speaking than the TIEs all surged forward in one large wave right towards us. Instead of being well over two minutes to firing range, they were now only seconds away.

_'Who was the idiot who sent those fighters forward and outside of screening range of their capital ship?'_ I wondered, incredulous.

"Change of plans," I barked over the comm channel. "Enemy fighters closing in. Prepare to engage!"

Was their commander trying to break our charge before we reached the capital ship? Did someone panic and send their fighters forward too soon?

These questions evaporated as we closed to engagement range. It quickly became apparent why TIEs only worked well in groups and when they had the clear advantage. As a space superiority fighter, they left much to be desired. Imperial fighters exploded in rapid succession as we quite literally cut our way through them. In a dogfight, TIEs had an advantage over X-wings in maneuverability. They simply turned better than X-wings and worked well in groups of twos or threes to overwhelm the meager shields aboard our fighters.

However, in a straight up confrontation? A headlong charge where pilots enter engagement range with all guns blazing? Those pilots didn't stand a chance. X-wings simply fired faster, more powerful shots and from a slightly better range. Any numerical advantage they coped to gain by coordinating their fire was a lost cause as trios quickly were whittled down to pairs, then solo craft, and then simply debris.

Said debris bounced off of our craft as we soared through the cloud of destruction we had just created. There was cheering over the squadron frequency and I gritted my teeth as I snapped at them.

"Cut the noise!" I ordered. "Focus up! We've still got that star destroyer to tangle with!"

It wasn't like I was upset that my pilots were celebrating. We'd just wiped out a whole enemy squadron in a single pass; of course there was cause for pride. What struck me was the sheer waste of it. Those pilots died for nothing. A pointless waste of men and materiel. Killing men in combat was one thing and something I had come to expect and expected to handle. Winning like this, it was hardly better than a slaughter and for what?

Pointless. An utterly pointless waste of pilots and ships.

_'And didn't _that _just sum up the Empire in oh so many ways?'_ my thoughts whispered to me.

The ISD began to fill my viewport and I shunted out my new resentment for the commanding officer of it in order to focus on my attack run. Already, I could see turbolaser batteries turning to face our oncoming fighters and begin firing. The large batteries, ill equipped for small, fast-moving targets, had plenty of trouble tracking us as we entered our engagement range.

In mere moments, we entered position for our pre-planned maneuver and I gave the order over comms.

"Execute!" I ordered.

Like water parting past a rock in a stream, our fighters split over the bow of the star destroyer. Blasterfire scoured the hull, blackening it as we flew within the effective range of the capital ship's shields. We launched proton torpedoes as we passed weapons emplacements, either damaging or outright destroying several of them and gouging the ship's armor plating.

The ISD fired it's turbolaser defenses almost uselessly at us as their systems tried to get a lock on us. The large weapon emplacements, fearsome when pitted against targets too big and slow to dodge, were simply not meant to take on modern fighters moving at attack speeds.

Point defense turrets struggled to turn and lock onto a target. Too slow for their task, many were blown apart as our fire wracked against them and rendered them charred wrecks against the surface of the hull. The ones we didn't manage to take out trailed their return fire uselessly behind us as we passed over the ship in mere seconds and were out of their firing arc.

And while their weapons targeted us, the real hammer hit them.

The Y-wings swept in mere seconds behind us. They broke into pairs, a maneuver we'd practiced many times to diminish the risk of enemy fire taking down the slower fighter-bombers. Eight swept over the dorsal section while the remaining four inverted their craft and went after the poorly defended ventral section. Since up and down were still arbitrary in space, those four had little trouble making their run on the hangar opening any more than the first eight had while sweeping up the raised sections and targeting the shield emitters, which conveniently sat atop the command bridge.

The bombers dropped their payloads in sequence, practically coating the outer hull of the warship with fire from their proton bombs. It was like a storm across the surface of the hull as red and blue fire erupted and shockwaves rippled like waves. For a moment, I could've sworn I saw the durasteel armor actually shudder but it may have just been an optical trick or my imagination.

Fire spat out of the now mangled vessel. Large tongues of fire and metal seemed to shoot from the ruptured parts of the hull, by her stern, and even a few from the command tower. The once pristine ship had been carved up and crippled from a single wave of attacking fighters and bombers. Arguably most impressive was the damage done to the hangar section beneath the main hull. There must have been some sort of secondary detonation, as fire erupted from the hangar opening and cut a brilliant gout below and behind the capital ship.

Rogue Squadron and Cloak Squadron flew at a fair distance behind this destruction, watching with awe and excitement at what we had accomplished. Even I was impressed by how well our single attack pass had gone. True, we'd expended all of our heavier munitions and would have to land and resupply to make another like it but this was a resoundingly successful attack.

_"Enemy star destroyer is beginning to list,"_ Duella notified us. _"Detecting escape pods launching."_

True enough, the first escape pods could be seen launching from the still burning vessel. It was only a few but it was steady number.

_"This is Cloak One,"_ came the triumphant voice of the pilot. _"Requesting permission for a second pass."_

"Stand by, Cloaks," I responded. "Flight Control, is the _Resurgent_ moving in?"

_"Affirmative, Rogue One,"_ she confirmed. _"_Resurgent _is accelerating and preparing for an attack run. Our demands for surrender are going unanswered thus far."_

My scanners confirmed this a moment later as well as a look outside of my cockpit. Beyond the flaming star destroyer, I could see the black and red of the Resurgent's hull preparing to descend on the crippled ISD. While exposing a carrier to enemy fire at all was typically a bad idea, Venator's were also designed as battleships. Their heavy guns were nothing to scoff at and were more than a match for a crippled modern ISD. I was confident Shin knew what he was doing and wouldn't be moving in yet unless he was certain of what his more advanced sensors were telling him about the enemy's condition.

Apparently, the captain of that star destroyer was having similar thoughts.

Escape pods began to shoot out of the ship in far greater numbers now. Enough that an actual evacuation must've been ordered. The small pods weren't equipped for long-term survival in vacuum, so they'd have to make planetfall depending on how long we were intending on staying here. I for one was planning on sticking around as long as possible.

A part of me knew those crews were in for a rough time if they ended up on the planet surface but a larger part of me couldn't care less. That ISD and its crew were sitting over this dying planet for days if not weeks and had rendered no aid to the civilians still trapped on the surface. Being stuck on the same planet awaiting pickup should be the least they have to go through.

I then thought about making a quick transmission through Flight Control to Captain Shin but ultimately decided against it. Shin and I had talked before the operation and during the planning sessions and had come to a decision about what to do about prisoners. We decided to ignore them for the most part once their ship was destroyed and to simply warn them from attempting to interfere in Alliance operations in this system. We ultimately didn't have a need to take prisoners, nor prevent them from seeing anything we were doing here and reporting back. Shin and I were on the same page with this and I didn't want to seem like I was riding on his shoulder when I was confident he was perfectly capable of remembering things like that on his own.

Next, I ran through my squadron asking for status reports. Rogue squadron didn't lose anyone in that attack but two of my guys had damaged fighters from point defense fire.

_"Dagger Squadron reporting all fighters accounted for, Rogue One," _Dagger One's chipper voice informed me.

_"Cloak Squadron, reporting one casualty,"_ came the response from Cloak One. _"Cloak Six, sir. He took a hit from the ISD's point defenses. He didn't make it."_

There was a pause on the channel as I processed this information.

"Copy, Cloak One," I replied calmly. "Rogue Squadron, Cloak Squadron, enter formation and return to the _Resurgent_. Daggers, maintain holding formation. Be on the lookout in case that ISD tries to launch any shuttles or bombers that may still be spaceworthy."

Breaking off the transmission, I heaved a great sigh as the fighting was done, for the moment. I looked out my cockpit window to gaze at the broken world hanging outside of it. Dark clouds filled the atmosphere and obscured much of the planet surface. Vast spirals indicated dust storms and violent activity occurring with the weather but I could only guess how bad it was.

Beyond mere sight though, there was something else. No sensor could verify it but anyone with even rudimentary Force sensitivity would be able to tell. The planet Alderaan was a maelstrom of more than dust and ash. It stood out in the Force like a dying beast on a wild plain somewhere. Like an animal shot by a hunter and just about to bleed out.

I didn't want to go down there. It was so morbid merely sensing it from orbit, I didn't want to think of what it'd be like to actually go down there. But I couldn't help but also consider why we were here and all of the people who may be down there right now and in need of our help.

I activated my comms once again on a frequency meant only for Flight Control.

"Duella, pass word to Captain Shin," I said softly, breaking protocol slightly by using her real name. "Go ahead and bring in the rest of the fleet. Now we can get to work."

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

With enemy forces neutralized, the next phase of the operation could begin.

Maneuvering the _Resurgent_ into the atmosphere was a trickier maneuver on Alderaan than I'd have liked for a first attempt but we really didn't have a choice on the matter. The lower orbitals were still filled with lunar debris and metallic fragments from the handful of artificial satellites that had once been there. We'd had to come in at an unusual angle, attempting to maneuver under the worst of it by coming in where the debris was lightest or where the biggest gaps existed. There'd also been come concern about the _Resurgent's_ ability to support herself in atmosphere, given the weight of the interdictor generators installed on her aft wings. There'd been a lot of hemming and hawing over it but it'd eventually been declared fine, so long as we didn't expect to do a lot of fancy maneuvering with the extra weight.

One particularly foul mouthed engineer had probably said it best;

_"She's got a fat ass now but she's still a hardworking girl at heart. She'll do fine."_

It'd all worked out and we immediately set ourselves to work. Since the destruction of the star destroyer, we'd been bombarding the planet with our sensors and transmissions for anyone who can hear us to identify themselves or signal us in some way. We had no idea how bad the situation was on the ground but we knew that reliable comms weren't a guarantee. So, we'd also called in the rest of the Alliance ships and scanned the planet for any signs of still working technology and complex lifeforms.

Putting the _Resurgent_ in atmosphere was meant to not only assist in recovering people from the surface, but also to help penetrate the clouds and debris with sensors. In that way, the _Resurgent_ would be operating as the primary coordinator for this operation as the crew fed data to the other ships and shuttles and helped pinpoint where everyone needed to go to be of the most use. Just about all of the efforts would be focused on the inland areas. Given the tidal disruptions caused by the falling debris and the effects the lack of a moon was having on the typical ebb and flow of the oceans, nobody really expected many, if any, of the coastal settlements to still be intact or habitable.

For our part, we had a dozen LAAT dropships and one assault shuttle ferrying people and supplies back and forth as quickly as we could. Many of those trips would be back into orbit as we would have to distribute resources as well as we could, given our limited carrying capacity. Even a ship as large as the _Resurgent_ could only hold so many people, even with all the empty spaces we had aboard.

Leia was here too and aboard the _Resurgent_ helping coordinate efforts. She'd insisted on it and I hadn't even thought to deny her once we began rescue operations. She had far more experience in this area than just about anyone else and was famous for her relief missions while working for the Imperial Senate. Her expertise was a great boon to our efforts and we were glad to have her at the helm.

While all of this was going on, I selected a half dozen pilots to join me in tracking down the coordinates Leia had provided us with. She wished us luck and asked us to simply hurry. We departed quickly in X-wings. We might've taken one of the shuttles but decided against it. Their carrying capacity would be needed to help ferry anyone they found and we could make do with just our fighters.

Flying low, we spoke little as we surveyed the devastated landscape around us. My eyes kept going back to a fiery mountain that dominated the horizon as all I could think about was how there was somehow still smoke and fire coming off of it, even though it seemed to have escaped the worst of the falling moon debris. At least it still looked intact. I knew the forests could regrow someday after a fire but I had no idea how one might go about repairing a _mountain_.

Soon enough, we landed at the coordinates and found a clear spot to land. It was probably once a meadow of some sort but was now just a large patch of dead grass beside a forest that didn't look any healthier.

"You should sit tight here with the ship, Artoo," I advised. "This ground doesn't look like it'll really do you any favors here."

Artoo blew a raspberry at my suggestion.

"We're going to be moving through woodland terrain," I pointed out. "Wouldn't you rather wait until we find something for you to help with before we drag you through all that out there?"

He whistled a grudging agreement with me but told me I'd better call him when I find something for him to do.

"I will, pal," I assured him. "I will."

Climbing out of our fighters, the other pilots circled up and awaited further instruction. I was the last to land, so the other five were waiting for me as my boots hit the dusty ground.

I had to suppress a shudder as I did so.

Being attuned to the Force like I was made planets like this uncomfortable or even dangerous to be in proximity to. Like Telos, Taris, or even dreaded Malachor V in the days of Revan, worlds like this exuded death in abundance. The death of not just the people but the animals and the plants was like a thick smoke that threatened to choke me if I inhaled too much of it. It was barely noticeable in orbit but here, standing on the surface, it was like having a thick, wet, woolen blanket thrown over me.

Fortunately, my presence here wasn't going to put me in too much danger so far as I could tell. During our approach, I was sampling the world and probing its Force presence. It was almost nauseating to feel the dying world in such a way. Different from planets that simply had sparse biospheres like Tattooine or lumps of rock found drifting in space, Alderaan was a once thriving planet that had been killed by sapient action. Acts like that, ones that resulted in sudden mass destruction and death, they left a very different impression on the Force.

Alderaan was a dying world. And now, I was feeling it acutely.

While standing on the surface was akin to breathing in smoke from a campfire, it should be fine if I kept my presence down here brief and avoided using the Force too much. My best option was to simply minimize my impression in the Force as much as possible and avoid drawing on it too much. I didn't want to think what spending days or weeks standing on the surface of this planet might be like and I had no intention of finding out. After a few hours down here, I intended to get back to my quarters and recuperate by meditating in what life I could focus on, like my crew or the crews of the other ships. After that, it'd be right back to work.

"We got any idea what we're looking for here, sir?" one of the pilots asked me.

Grateful for something else to focus on, I turned to answer the question.

"Some kind of bunker or a shelter, we think," I told him. "That's still all we've got to work on. Whatever it is, we need to comb the area. It's somewhere close and we've gotta find it quick if we're to get back to helping look for survivors. Everyone got their flightbags close?"

My fellow pilots all nodded and hefted their own bags to show that they did. I unzipped the small flightbag I'd brought with me and began pulling items out.

"Everyone make sure you keep your air masks close," I reminded them, affixing my own to the front of my orange flightsuit. "Meteorological analysis shows that dust storms and harsh winds are a possibility. If you feel like you're struggling at all, even with the mask, stop and signal your partner. We don't need anyone ending up a casualty out here. We'll fan out with our search and use this landing zone as our starting point. Five minute check-ins. Everyone ready?"

There were acknowledgements from everyone as they all double checked their own masks and bags.

"Then let's get to it," I ordered. "Hobbie, you're with me."

Derek "Hobbie" Klivian nodded and jogged over to my side as we headed off for the woods. I'd met Hobbie originally when Biggs had introduced him to me as a prospective member of the new squadron we were forming. While his name was familiar to me at first, it took a little more interaction with him and a few pointed questions to remember who he was. While not exactly a 'galaxy changing' individual, he was a good man and an excellent pilot. He had proved himself a good man but also as quite a skeptic. I wonder at the exact circumstances that brought him and someone bright and earnest like Biggs Darklighter together as friends and allies, since I only knew a little about those events. Someday, I'd have to ask them for the full story.

"You think we're gonna find what we're looking for in this, commander?" Hobbie asked.

_'And right on cue...' _

"We know there's something out here to find," I pointed out. "That's half the work right there. Now, we just gotta comb the area until we find it."

"Shame. I left my hygiene kit aboard the carrier. Although, I think this area could benefit more from a shower than a combing right now."

Cynic he might be, Hobbie also had a dry wit that I was learning to appreciate. I suppressed a snort of laughter at the unintentional Spaceballs reference his words reminded me of. Apparently, I wasn't entirely successful since he turned to give me a look a moment later.

"Was it that funny?" Hobbie asked.

"No, not even close," I deflected. "You wouldn't get it. Just watch your step and... be careful if you go picking through anything."

Hobbie shrugged as he stepped over a fallen tree in his path. Not that it was much of an improvement when he and I were having to step over fallen branches fairly frequently. While this area seems to have avoided any direct impacts or especially damaging seismic activity, it did appear that the area had been hit by at least the severe winds brought about by other impacts. Many trees were knocked into one another and others were missing large branches, which now littered the forest floor. There was no sign of animal life anywhere but I was still keeping my lightsaber and blaster close. In a deadly environment like this, even normally docile beasts could be dangerous due to hunger and/or fear. That, and there was no telling what kind of reception we might get from survivors.

We spent nearly half an hour searching the area when Hobbie called over to me.

"I think we got something over here!"

Turning to my right, I saw Hobbie poking around a fallen tree. He kicked at the tree several times until I realized that instead of the sound of snapping wood or even the dull thud of rock, there was a definite metallic ringing sound as his boot struck something buried under the thicket.

"Everyone, rally up on my beacon," I ordered over the comlink. "Looks like we found something."

I looked at the small, flashing green light on my wrist to see that my comm beacon was still active. Using their handheld scanners, the others should be able to find me easily.

Moving over to where Hobbie was breaking some of the larger branches, I leaned in to get a better look at whatever it was he had found. Beneath several thick logs and coated in a fine layer of dirt and foliage, there was definitely a large metallic object of some sort. It looked about twice as wide around as a TIE fighter cockpit and seemed weather worn, if still intact.

Gesturing Hobbie back a moment later, I asked him to let me handle this part.

"No offense, Hobbie," I told him, flexing my fingers in preparation. "But I think we'll all appreciate it if I speed things up for us just a bit."

Not waiting for a reply, I spread my legs a bit more apart and set them firmly into the ground. I brought my arms close to my sides with my forearms still extended ninety degrees in front of me while I took a slow, deep breath. I was careful not to inhale too much just in case I coughed on the harsher air but the stance helped me focus for this next part.

Tapping into the Force more fully than I had since landing, I narrowed my field of focus to what was right in front of me. Even then, I still felt the choking, dying sensation all around me and nearly broke my focus as I suddenly wanted nothing more than to break into hacking coughs and shy away from my connection to the Force.

Determined, I kept up the connection and did my best to ignore the almost choking distraction as I snapped my gaze to the fallen tree and dead foliage covering the metal object. Looking only at what I was trying to move helped a lot to maintain my focus.

Slowly at first, then more quickly, the smaller bits of dead plant matter began to shudder and rise into the air. First clumps of dirt, then leaves, then branches until finally, the heavy fallen tree itself rose off the metal covering and rose nearly two meters into the air.

Neither wanting or needing to keep up this display of power for long, I quickly cast aside the deleterious materials by just pushing them carelessly towards an empty patch of dead forest. The various objects all fell to the forest floor with a loud crunching noise before settling into their new resting place.

Letting out a great exhale of breath, I let my arms drop to my sides as I relaxed my tense muscles. I kept my breathing controlled so I didn't attempt to gulp in air after the effort. In small, steady quantities, the air was fine for now. If I started inhaling it quickly, I'd likely start hacking and coughing on the dust in the air.

Turning around, I saw the wide-eyed look Hobbie was giving me. Not surprising, since I usually didn't display my powers this openly in front of my fellow pilots like I just had. I wasn't really trying to hide what I could do but I rarely found myself lifting heavy objects aboard the _Resurgent_ when we had equipment for such things and usually personnel already handling it.

"You still with me here, Hobbie?" I asked, my breathing returned to normal.

"Y-yeah," he answered. "Just... processing, boss."

"If you say so," I said, shrugging and trying to act casual about the supernatural display I'd just put on. Behind him, I saw the first pair of pilots finally arriving after having followed my homing signal.

"You, uh, do that often?" he asked next. "Lift stuff with your mind, I mean?"

"Only when I'm too lazy to get out of my chair and get something," I answered, leaning over to take a closer look at the metal object I'd uncovered. "What? Did you think I spent all that time meditating because I wanted an excuse to nap?"

"Well..." Hobbie shifted his weight uncomfortably from one foot to another.

"You know, I should really consider working out on the flight deck more so the rest of you can see me practicing from time to time," I thought aloud, looking for some sign of an access panel. This was definitely some kind of hatch...

I turned my head once again and shot the sheepish looking pilot one more look.

"And for the record," I continued. "I can nap whenever I like. Commander's privilege."

"Fair enough."

I finished a look around the object and didn't discover much. The object might've been a structure with how it seemed to go deep into the ground and didn't sit at an angle like it had just been dropped here. It clearly had a hatch of some sort but I couldn't locate an access panel anywhere or any sort of opening. Was it a bunker of some kind? Was I supposed to knock Well, there's always the direct way but I'd rather not wreck anything that might be important.

I stretched my leg out and pulled myself up stand atop of this thing. I started looking at the cover for anything that might be helpful and that I couldn't see from the sides. Around the base, Hobbie and the others were examining it and discussing what this might be.

Kicking aside some loose dirt that I hadn't moved with the rest of the debris, I noticed something. There was an indent in the center of the cover. Poking at it for a moment, I scooped out a perfectly shaped half sphere in the metal with a handle stretching across it at the top.

Reaching inside, I grasped the short metal bar and tried puling on it. It gave way a little under my strength but I also noticed how it seemed to turn slightly as well. Following my intuition, I pulled and twisted the handle as a cylinder rose out of the metal covering, rising still as I kept puling. Eventually, I was standing upright and the handle didn't stop coming up until it was level with my waist and no longer turning either.

There was a loud groan and a clacking noise beneath my feet.

Letting go of the handle, I quickly got off of the object as the top of it began to part and then retract inwards into itself. I got the eerie feeling like I was watching the cover coming off of a sarcophagus as there was a rush of cool air coming out of the object, smelling of fresh dirt and metal. Whatever had been inside, it was clearly pressurized until just a moment ago.

Approaching the now opened object, the other pilots and I all saw a great, wide shaft extending downwards into utter darkness. There was no sign of any steps or ladders leading downward, providing an even more ominous feeling as it seemed we were looking into some sort of abyss.

"Okay," one of the other pilots, I wasn't sure who, said behind me. "Who want's to go into the dark, creepy bunker first?"

"Probably a job for the guy with the laser sword," I replied, fishing a glow rod out of my pack and activating it.

Like it's Earth counterpart, the chemical filled stick would emit a powerful green glow when the inner tube was snapped and mixed the chemicals inside of the otherwise flexible rod. Fortunately for me in this case, these versions were much more advanced and powerful than one might first expect and were capable of lasting for more than a standard day.

I dropped the glow rod down the shaft without ceremony and watched it fall. The other pilots and I all craned our necks over the edge to get a better look as it fell. The rod fell for about forty meters before coming to a stop on a plain, metallic floor of some kind. The light it was casting gave off just enough illumination from this far up that I could see it opened up into a wider chamber at the bottom of the shaft.

"Not too far," I muttered aloud.

Looking around the sides of the shaft, I frowned as I saw that there was no ladder or any sign of how I was supposed to get down there. I looked around to see if there was anywhere good to tie off a rope to help climb down with. I wasn't too keen on the idea of trying to fasten a line into this ground or into the nearby dead trees or something. Mentally shrugging, I decided that the direct route was probably good enough in this case.

I turned back to the others and spoke.

"I can go on ahead," I told them. "If anything happens or if you lose contact with me, signal for help to come in and get me. Last thing we need is all of us trapped down there with nobody knowing what's going on."

"Sir, you really shouldn't go alone," one of the pilots said. "One or two of us should rappel down there with you. We can just use the same rope."

"That's a decent idea," I replied. "I'll go ahead while one of you sets up a rope and stands by in case you lose contact with me or I call for help."

Without waiting to hear any more objections, I put my hands on the lip of the shaft's opening and vaulted over it...

...leaving nothing to stop me from falling feet first towards the bottom.

In another universe, I'd have broken both of my legs at a minimum while doing this. Might've even killed myself. Thankfully, the fall only elicited a quick surge of adrenaline from me as my instincts responded to the apparent danger while I opened myself to the Force again, just a bit.

I grunted as I impacted the bottom of the shaft, bending my knees to help absorb the impact but still feeling my legs shake a bit from the force of it.

_'Need to practice my landings a bit more. Do that enough times and maybe I'll be looking at replacement prosthetic legs,'_ I thought, shaking off the weird feeling. _'Like father, like son at that point. At least I didn't go for the superhero landing...'_

Standing upright, I saw that I had limited options for moving in further. Apart from this area at the bottom of the shaft, there was a tunnel of approximately similar dimensions heading off straight ahead of me.

Looking up into the shaft, I cast a jaunty wave at the dumbstruck looking pilots staring down at me.

"I'll check in regularly over comms," I spoke into my own comm device instead of shouting up to them. "Go ahead and get that rope set up in case you need to come in after me.

After receiving their acknowledgement, I took out another glow rod from my belt and activated it. Giving it a few customary shakes to speed up activation of its glowing chemical properties a bit, I ventured forward into the tunnel.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

I had walked for perhaps another fifty meters when I came upon a large door at the end of the tunnel. It was as large as a garage door but looked like it wouldn't have been out of place in front of a bank vault or a munitions locker.

Just as I started looking for a panel of some sort, I was interrupted by some lights flickering on above me and by a voice.

"Unauthorized entry," an artificial voice spoke. "Please state your name and intentions."

Freezing in place, I looked up and saw that the voice had come from a speaker mounted onto the wall.

"I'm Luke Skywalker," I introduced myself. "I'm here on behalf of Leia Organa. I'm a part of a relief force come to rescue survivors."

"One moment..."

I was left standing there for almost a full minute before the doors suddenly opened. Hydraulics hissed and I heard metal groaning and large locking devices turn as I stepped back from the door. There was silence for a moment before the harsh sound of metal on metal filled the hallway. It echoed, grinding as I winced at the harsh sound.

Nonetheless, I was satisfied to see the door part open, showing just how thick it was. The locking mechanisms within it were massive and clearly meant to withstand serious damage. As the first gap appeared on the other side, there was a strong and noticeable gust of wind that took me by surprise. It seemed like whatever was behind this door, it was a pressurized and sealed environment.

_'Someone went to a lot of effort to keep this place protected from the outside,'_ I thought.

At last, the door finished parting and revealed a rather odd looking protocol droid walking out from the interior. At least, I assumed it was a protocol droid. It was a plain and unpainted grey metal with an extra set of arms at its side. It had a bulbous head design with a triangular shape and sensors in place of eyes, reminding me of the head of an insect. On its torso was painted the designation CT-KR1 in white lettering.

Although not especially threatening, I had a suspicion that there were a number of measures this droid and/or facility could have that might make life difficult for me if I did or said something it didn't like. No way a place this well built didn't have more than one way of protection.

"Greetings," the droid stated. "This unit is standing by to assist. How may I serve?"

The droid spoke with a highly mechanical, if polite voice. I couldn't tell if it had been designed to interact with a specific race or was meant to sound like that, but I got the impression of a droid that wasn't primarily designed to interact with people.

"What is this place?" I asked, cutting right to the chase.

"This facility has been commissioned by the Alderaanian royal family in the event of a disaster befalls the planet," the droid explained. "Due to increased seismic activity and complete loss of contact with the outside world, lockdown protocols have been initiated and this facility has been in standby mode. Do you wish access to the facility?"

"This is a shelter?" I asked instead. "How many people are here?"

"None."

"None?" I repeated, confused. "The facility was empty when the lockdown engaged?"

"Negative," CT-KR1 replied patiently. "Biological samples such as seeds, plants, animal genetic material have been preserved here by this unit and other caretaker droids. Cultural items or recreations of them have also been stored here so that future generations may also witness and learn from them. In addition, the databanks are updated on a weekly basis to include updates on all available Alderaanian media and the latest current events."

I was silent as I processed that answer.

Not a shelter at all, it would seem. This place was a backup archive. A storage unit for Alderaanian art, culture, and a catalog of native plant and animal life. Was this a recent construction? Did the warning I delivered years ago spur the creation of this place? Then again, it's not entirely impossible for this place to have always existed. If Alderaan had been blasted apart by the Death Star, even the most secure bunker in existence couldn't survive that level of destruction.

"When was this facility constructed?" I asked next.

"I am sorry," CT-KR1 replied. "But this unit does not posses that information. This unit and all associated models are memory wiped on a bi-monthly basis in order to better comply with long-term storage protocols. Do you have another inquiry with which I may assist in answering?"

"Yes," I continued. "Do I have access to this facility?"

"Access is granted to any lifeform who makes entry without hostile intentions," CT-KR1 answered. "Recovery and distribution of samples into safe hands takes priority in the event of lockdown protocols being initiated. In the event of harm being inflicted upon storage units by outside interference, defensive measures exist within this facility to prevent such destruction."

_'That doesn't sound like it'd stop someone from carrying stuff out of here and destroying it elsewhere,'_ I noted. _'Then again, ensuring all this survives an apocalypse is enough to worry about. Anyone stumbling across this place a decade or century after the planet got wrecked likely wouldn't be looking just to destroy it all. At that point, anyone willing to preserve what's in here is probably good enough. Even if it all ended up in an Imperial lab or storage somewhere, that's still better than nothing.'_

"I wish to take these samples elsewhere for safekeeping," I informed the droid. "Will I be allowed to do so?"

There was a pause as the droid stared at me.

"Removal of items is permitted under established protocol," it said at last. "Due to atmospheric readings and prior activation of lockdown protocols, items may now be claimed from the vault to ensure survival of Alderaanian flora, fauna, and culture. However, it is recommended that caretaker units are permitted to accompany storage units to ensure proper storage and handling of items."

I sighed, relieved at that response.

"Don't worry," I said next. "We'll be needing all the help we can get to carry stuff out of here. Speaking of, where is it all?"

"Would you like to be shown to the main vault?"

"Yes. Please show me," I requested.

With a sweeping gesture with two of its arms, the droid gestured for me to follow as it went back through the door it had arrived through. I followed behind it, quickly sending an update via my communicator as I wasn't sure if my transmissions would make it out if I ventured much deeper into this facility.

Stepping quickly after the droid, I saw that we didn't have to go far to reach a dimly lit chamber that lay just beyond a guard rail. Stepping up to the railing, I finally saw the facility itself and felt my eyes widen in amazement as I let out a soft whistle of appreciation at what I beheld.

The chamber was as big as a football field. Long rows of shelving stretched onwards from below me and all the way to the back wall. Identical containers, stacked neatly and side by side along the shelving filled them. I saw at least a half dozen other caretaker droids, similar to CT-KR1 but bearing different tools and designations on their chassis, all wandering up and down the aisles as they scanned and took readings from the storage units. Off to one side, I saw a number of doorways, presumably leading to attached chambers that could have been holding any number or type of items requiring special storage. Over all of this, massive beams of what looked like reinforced concrete and durasteel crossed in an overlapping pattern, both supporting and protecting this place from anything short of concentrated orbital bombardment.

"I'm going to need some help getting all of this out of here," I muttered, turning my head as I looked around.

Seeing the series of simple stairs and ladders leading down to the main floor, I was reminded by the large drop I took to get down here. While I didn't have much of a problem jumping back out on my own, I didn't like the idea of having to get all of this stuff out of here myself or bring in complicated lifting equipment.

"How do I get back up to the surface?" I asked.

"The lift is operable and capable of carrying you to the surface, Master Skywalker," CT-KR1 provided helpfully.

"Show me."

After activating the lift, which I had somehow managed to completely miss from the surface and as I dropped down the shaft, I had two of the pilots head back to the X-wings to get Artoo and to inform the task force of our status. Leia would want to know what we had found as soon as possible. I also told them to call up some more transports, as soon as we could get them out here.

"There really that much down there, boss?" Hobbie asked me.

"If anything, there's more than I described," I told him honestly, remembering the chamber's size and the attached doors. "And we're taking all of it. It's why I told the others to call in a transport with some more hands to get this moving. We're gonna need a lot of lift capacity and some more bodies down here to do it. In the meantime, I'm gonna get Artoo down here and see what it'll take to pull any data from down there that we may need."

There was a round of acknowledgements and we set about our work. I didn't intend to leave so much as a single dataslate or packet of seeds down here by the time we were done.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_One Week Later..._

We'd stayed as long as we could but we'd never deluded ourselves into thinking it'd be for good. An Imperial ship had jumped into the system and had immediately run when it saw that we were here. Not even bothering to fight, they'd doubtless decided to embrace the better part of valor and muster reinforcements at the nearest Imperial base.

Still, we'd stayed for another day.

We'd picked up over three hundred thousand survivors. It was a paltry number compared to the billions that had originally called this planet home but it was something. Transports had run with their holds and life support systems taxed to the maximum to get people away and to safe planets. But there were still more. Too many to carry away, too far to reach, and too little time to help all of the ones we simply didn't have the lift capacity for. Still, we prioritized the worse cases and those living in the most unstable areas. We took everyone we could find but for those who we couldn't take with us, we left survival equipment and anything we could spare from our ships for them to find. It wasn't perfect and it wasn't much but we hoped to be able to do more later.

We also took the time to clear out the bunker facility entirely. Leia had come herself and had been nearly overcome with relief in finding the cache of Alderaanian culture stored away. I'd worried that she would be disappointed at not finding her parents but she was far more preoccupied with what we did find than with what we didn't. Her resolve and strength she showed in the face of seeing her home and people like this was incredible to behold. She was a pillar of strength for all of the refugees we picked up and for her fellow rebels who had been worked to exhaustion and shaken by the things they'd seen.

It wasn't until the last possible minute that we'd picked up the last of our personnel and packed everything up. There'd been some grumbling in the ranks that we should've made a stand here and fought anyone who tried to move us but logic had gotten through to even the most belligerent in the end. We expected at least six ISDs inbound and more than three times that number in escorts. Loaded with refugees, we couldn't hope to win that fight. Even if we had a kick-ass plan, we'd be risking too much.

We got our timing down to the wire. Seven star destroyers and some twenty-five smaller vessels came out of hyperspace while we were more than halfway to our own exit point. They couldn't hope to catch us but they certainly got a good look at some of our ships as we flew away. I imagined shaking fists and angry epitaphs being spoken by their officers and crews, while I wondered if any of them gave thought to the devastated planet between us. If they did, I doubted they were going to do anything about it.

Right up until we finally made the jump into hyperspace, we kept transmitting. It was a promise to anyone left on Alderaan with the ability to hear us as well as one for the Imperial ships that would certainly intercept our message as we were broadcasting across all frequencies. It was made in several variations but the promise was always the same;

_"We'll be back."_

**AN: I know I said we'd be getting to more fun and lighthearted stuff last time and disaster relief is kinda far from that. These ideas just couldn't be ignored once I'd thought of them! Next time will be more lighthearted and fun, I promise!**

**I've chatted a bit with some of you about my OCs and the concern that I may overuse them at some point. Rest assured that I'll happily fill necessary roles with familiar characters whenever feasible. However, my options are rather limited in some cases.**

**I wanted to give you guys an idea of how supply raids might go with a ship like the _Resurgent_ doing the grocery shopping. Getting data on when a ship departs and pulling it out of hyperspace en route is a safe and effective way of acquiring whatever the Alliance needs while depriving it from the Empire. We also got our first demonstration of how a battle with the _Resurgent_ might go against a single opponent in her weight class. **

**Some folks might be asking why a single ISD was sitting alone, but that's something the Empire did all too often. Confident in the power they had, the Empire had only so many ISDs and far too many planets to maintain order on. We saw only one ISD operating when Vader was chasing Leia's ship at the beginning of Episode IV. Even Vader's infamous Death Squadron, awed and feared for it's collective might, only usually had a dozen star destroyers attached to it at any one time. Vader could, as commander of the Empire's armed forces, command and reassign any number of ships he liked. However, even chasing the Rebel Alliance didn't mean he could just ignore defensive commitments elsewhere. **

**For some real world context, the US Navy is the biggest in the world. They have numerous ships, but also an equal number of defensive commitments around the world that require that many ships, if not all of them at once. While ships are assigned to a carrier group or to a special task group, they aren't always together. That's because they can accomplish more by splitting up their fleets to handle a wider area. Having one ship stand picket over Alderaan makes sense and making it an ISD seems logical when there were already those three originally detached from escorting the Death Star just hanging around. **

**It also seems like just as much, if not more so, of a terror tactic Palpatine would approve of to still have a ship blocking aid from reaching Alderaan. Instead of dying quickly, whoever is left will, at best, scratch out a miserable existence in an apocalyptic wasteland. There's more than one way to instill terror into a population and displays of brute power aren't always the scariest. **

**I hope that makes sense and helps clear up any confusion some of you may have had. **

**The idea for the vault is a ripoff of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. For those of you who don't know about it, I suggest you look it up. It's an interesting project and one of many initiatives to preserve the knowledge and resources humanity has in the event of disaster.**

**To be honest, I should've probably split this into two chapters. It took so long to knock out with everything going on but I was so close to done by the time I finished it, I just decided it wasn't worth the effort by that point. **

**So, with this COVID stuff loosening up, my class schedule has doubled until the end of summer. Nonetheless, I am still committed to bringing you guys quality writing. I have many, many chapters planned as well as snippets and outlines written for this story. I have no intention of abandoning it any time soon.**

**Finally, I hope everyone is staying safe out there. Whole lotta craziness going on in the world and I just want to encourage everyone to make smart decisions and remember to be good to themselves and one another.**

**Someone recommended I set up an account on a fundraising site like . Apparently, some folks are interested in donating to help support my writing. Frankly, I think that'd be awesome if people actually did that. If I actually go through with it, I'll post the information on my page and/or the next chapter. Nobody's obligated to give me money for this as I'm happy to do it for free, but I'm not against accepting generosity from others either if that's what people want.**

**Until next time!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan written story. Star Wars or any of the associated properties mentioned in this story are all owned by Disney and their respective companies, authors and/or corporations. This is purely a work of fiction written for pleasure and nonprofit. Please support the official release.**

**See Author's Note for Q&A section!**

* * *

**Skywalker: Resurgent Ch.11: ****A Night On the Town**

_Resurgent, Storage Room #9..._

I ducked and then sprang skyward from my crouch, leaping over an imaginary danger as I twisted mid flight to accommodate defending myself from another imagined attack. Landing hard but bending my knees to absorb the shock, I spun in place and came into a guard position as I faced the only other person in the room with me.

"You need to keep your elbows closer to your body," Kenobi instructed. "Your defense may be exploited by not being able to move your arm in the correct way at a critical moment."

Grunting my acknowledgement, I did as instructed and repeated the kata, or training movements, again. Today, he'd set me to practicing the different movements of Form IV, Ataru. It was the form Kenobi had focused on early in his life and emphasized acrobatic maneuvers and strikes. It also allowed him to ensure I wasn't slacking off in more than just my lightsaber training as I exerted my body to near-inhuman levels of physical performance.

Fortunately for me, being strong in the Force as I am means I basically run with cheat codes in these situations. Muscles that should be torn, or at least sore, felt perfectly normal after accomplishing Olympic-level feats of strength, speed, and flexibility for extended periods. My recovery rate from physical exertion was, in a word, phenomenal. All this physical exercise allowed me to strengthen my body's natural biology to peak performance, even when I wasn't drawing on the Force. I could still grow tired or exhausted. It just took a hell of a lot more than it would for normal people.

A few minutes later, Kenobi called for a stop. I deactivated my blade and joined him where he was standing and observing my movements. He professed that his own days of 'soaring like a hawk-bat' were behind him and was content to simply instruct from the sidelines in this case.

Now that we'd gotten a good bit of practice out of the way, I thought it was about time I checked in on how my teacher was doing without me.

"So, how does it feel being called general again?" I asked.

"It is..." he mused, drawing out his answer. "Refreshing I suppose."

He leaned back against a large container and looked thoughtful as he answered.

"In what way?" I asked, resting against a different container besides him.

"Well at first, it was strange," he said, stroking his beard as he answered. "So many years of living as a hermit on Tatooine let me grow more accustomed to the quiet life. Now, everywhere I go, people recognize me as a famous general or jedi master. It is, at times...disconcerting."

"I'm getting some of that too," I commiserated. "At first, a rare few would recognize the last name Skywalker and realize I'm the son of the famous war hero. That was weird enough, but others are starting to look at me in ways that make me feel just a bit uncomfortable."

I gestured towards the entrance to the storage room we were using for my training today.

"I know it's not their fault or anything but they look at me like... like I'm a legend come to life. I get the gratitude aspect of it from the guys I freed but it comes from the other crew too. Thank the Force I've got guys like Biggs and Wedge helping to keep me grounded. You, Han, Chewie, and Leia too, whenever you come by. It helps to have the guys run interference for me and remind people that I'm also a person. Remind me too, just in case."

"To keep you from developing a case of 'Jedi Arrogance' as you've called it?" Kenobi asked wryly, using air quotes to show his sarcasm at the term.

In spite of any reluctance he'd expressed about resuming a more active lifestyle, I'd noticed that Kenobi was steadily becoming less solemn when he spoke. At those times, I'd see flashes of the younger Obi-Wan Kenobi, the one who trolled his enemies and brandished a dry wit as often as a lightsaber when fighting. Those instances were rare on Tatooine and I often had to coax them out of the man.

These days? It seemed he would open up on his own and without my prompting. I didn't claim to be a psychologist but I took that as a good sign as to the old man's mental well being. I couldn't see him as often as I liked anymore and our respective duties to the Alliance would keep us apart at times. It was good to know I didn't have to worry over him, even if I felt the occasional flicker of concern for how he was faring without me around.

Still, that didn't mean I always appreciated the sass when he decided to renew old discussions on areas where we disagreed, even if politely.

"It's an environmental concern," I fired back. "Jedi have been attributed to being one of the galaxy's leading producers of smug. I think the average Imperial officer or moff is enough of a contributor without adding myself to the equation."

"I certainly hope that's not referring to your new naval captain," Kenobi replied smoothly. "According to Leia, he handles himself and the ship quite well. You could have definitely done far worse."

This, I already knew. Leia had worked with Captain Shin quite a bit during what was now being referred to as the Relief of Alderaan. She'd remarked to me that Shin was a highly capable officer and that I was lucky to have him backing me up. I hadn't disagreed for a moment.

"No," I acknowledged. "Not a word of complaint for that one. Except from the lazier crew members, perhaps. No, I don't have to worry about him getting an overinflated opinion of me. He's pretty smart and upfront about my capabilities as a Force user as well. He agrees with me that while we don't inherently make better officers than the average being, we do make great force multipliers, no pun intended."

"That's good to hear," Kenobi nodded. "I know that neither I, nor any of the jedi generals during the Clone Wars would've been half as effective without capable men at our sides. You're fortunate to have so many willing to assist you when asked."

"Indeed I am," I agreed with a hum.

I genuinely appreciated these talks with Kenobi. He and I may not see eye to eye on every issue, and I know he felt more than a little stung and defensive when I brought up some of my lower opinions of the Jedi Order of his era, but our discourse was always polite. I can respect his advice and wisdom, even if I disagree with the finer points at times. It's easy for me to see how people view him as a venerable general or jedi like in those stories people still tell.

"Now," he said, clapping his hands together in front of him. "I understand from your previous messages that you've made progress on Force Blocking. You said that you have some ideas that branch off of it?"

"Oh yeah," I began. "First, there's this idea I had about the principals involved. Before the blaster or energy bolt can make contact with our bodies, we're essentially manipulating the energies involved to some degree. What if we were to think beyond just blocking and consider manipulating these energies from further away or even manipulating the energies in a different way altogether...?"

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

Being a mostly mobile state, the Alliance was constantly moving around its assets to accommodate its needs. Being at war with a galaxy spanning power, this doubled the necessity of moving our assets around to stay one step ahead of the enemy. While we couldn't hope to match the full might of the Empire's forces, we could certainly out maneuver them as we hopped from one hyperlane to the next, from one rallying point in deep space to another, to even the occasional allied world willing to look the other way if a couple of ships were spotted passing through.

Things were picking up in this sector, so the Command Council had decided that it would behoove us to move most of our assets elsewhere until the heat died down. After all, there were plenty of other places that the Empire could be hit from and dedicating forces _here_ meant that they weren't _elsewhere_. Alliance Intelligence was already working on identifying a new assignment for us.

On a more dour note, we'd gotten word that Vader was confirmed to be back in action. I'd never doubted that he'd survived the Death Star's destruction and neither had Kenobi but now there'd been too many sources of confirmation for anyone to deny it. His exact movements were difficult to track, given that he was hardly the type to keep an itinerary or divulge his plans. All we knew for sure that he was alive and hadn't reported back to the Emperor in person yet. I had my own theories which I'd shared with Kenobi about what he might've been up to. There was nothing much we could do at the moment, save to prepare for our inevitable confrontation in the future. Although he was reluctant to let me face him at all, he still acknowledged my point about its inevitability. Thus, Kenobi had been happy to keep me appraised of all Alliance intelligence on Vader's movements and activities.

For now, all I could really do was handle the day to day tasks that were required of me and continue to prepare as best as I could. I had a handful of ideas where and when that pivotal meeting may take place but given how unexpected my own movements had been since the destruction of the Death Star, I wasn't naive enough to think that the future was still set in stone. I had three ideas I was banking on as the most likely options but there wasn't anything I could do at the moment but wait and prepare.

Speaking of preparations, we were stuck in a holding pattern with a couple of other Alliance ships when my office was suddenly invaded. That brought me to the current situation of my friends trying not only to request shore leave, but to drag me along with them. I'd told them I was tired and should really be focusing on the pile of paperwork I had on my desk, but Wedge and Biggs had insisted.

Sneaky bastards that they were, they'd even gotten Han in on it. All three of them came to my office and told me that with no exceptions, I was going to be joining the pilots for a night out on the town. Han informed me that I was not allowed to say no, much to my consternation.

"It's a night on the town!" Biggs explained grandly. "Drinking, music, dancing, and whatever else gets your reactor purring!"

"What town?" I asked. "Where are we even going?"

"There's a system one jump away with a nice little port town," Han explained. "Nice little place I've stopped at a time or two. Real friendly folks. Just a quick jaunt in a shuttle. You'll get there just in time for local night and can fly on back in the morning."

"Han, are you kidding? Do you see how busy we are around here?" I asked him, gesturing all around us. "You guys can go, it's not a problem, but I've got too much going on."

It wasn't like I was _trying_ to be the stick in the mud here. There was always something going on that seemed to require my attention. Whether it was working on the next batch of writing to submit to Mon Mothma or planning for the _Resurgent's_ next big operation, I had a _lot_ going on. That wasn't even including practicing with my Force skills or with my lightsaber. Was taking a night off to go party in any way the responsible choice here?

"We've got a few days before we're scheduled to make our run on Cymoon I," Han pointed out. "And you could do with some relaxation. You're wound up like a spool of razorwire and could really use this."

"I am not," I objected calmly. "'Wound up,' as you put it. I'm just busy. I've got a lot to do and you should know that as well as anyone."

"I do," he agreed, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Whatever you want to call it, you've been piling on a lot onto your own shoulders. It's not just me; these guys noticed it too."

I shot a look at Wedge and Biggs, the two of them not even having the decency to appear sheepish.

"It's true," Wedge shrugged. "If you're not busting your butt somewhere making sure everything is going right, you're doing that mystic-Jedi routine or doing paperwork."

"If you guys want shore leave, you can have it," I replied.

"C'mon, Luke!" Biggs cajoled. "You've gotta come with us too! It'll defeat half the purpose if you're not there too! _We_ need this! _You_ need this!"

"And what about you?" I asked Han. "You here to offer a ride?"

"Tempting but no," the smuggler admitted. "The _Falcon's_ hyperdrive is acting up again. I'll be staying here with Chewie to tune it up. It'll be just you fighter jocks for this one."

"Again?" I asked, a bit exasperated. "I'm wondering if I shouldn't have a spot reserved for you on the hangar deck by now. Put up a sign over it and everything."

Seriously, as much as I loved Han's little ship, that thing seemed to require almost constant attention. I'd noticed that he was doing some kind of repair and/or borrowing some kind of tool more than half the time he came aboard. I was fine with it but it did make me wonder why the _Falcon_ was such a needy little ship, almost to the point of comedy.

One of these days, I'd have to sneak aboard and take a good look at that engine to see just what Han and Chewie had done to it. I expected to find as much adhesive tape and spot welds as I did functional engine parts, given the evidence at hand.

"If you do, don't forget to stock it with tools," Han replied, completely unashamed. "And maybe a deckhand or two to run errands for us while you're at it."

"Of course," I agreed, keeping a straight look on my face. "However would you fix the Falcon without plenty of snacks and booze on hand? I've already had to get wookiee-proof locks installed over the kitchen pantry."

"And back to the subject of snacks and booze," Biggs interrupted before Han could reply. "Shore leave? Please? Oh, beloved best buddy and commanding officer who will come with us? Who loves his troops and all the hard work they do for him?"

Wedge adopted an almost pathetically hopeful look as he gazed at me with wide eyes and an almost teary look.

With reluctance, I went along with it and made the arrangements.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_Several Hours Later..._

Alright, so this might've been a good idea.

A few nondescript shuttles had been reserved and a rotating roster for the crew had been written up. At least this way, I wouldn't have to feel like I was leaving my people behind while I had fun. Now, everyone could get at least a night off once it was their group's turn on the schedule.

Given the exuberant response I'd gotten when I'd made the announcement, I suppose I _was_ being the proverbial stick in the mud. I'd still put myself in the first group of shuttles along with Biggs and Wedge and a couple of other pilots who were coming along as their own groups.

I'd donned my old 'Clint Eastwood' disguise for this trip. We weren't going somewhere with an Imperial presence, but it paid to be cautious all the same. While the Alliance hadn't published my name as the guy who blew up the Death Star or the one who spearheaded the 'Raid on Alderaan,' I knew the Empire's intelligence assets were likely working overtime to find out my identity. It'd been long enough that I felt it was prudent to don my old disguise, sans the face paint. It should ensure me enough anonymity for the evening while everyone else was at least smart enough to not proclaim that they were members of the Alliance in a place where they might be overheard.

We'd gone bar hopping immediately after landing and went at it for several hours. The nightlife on this world really didn't compare to what passed for it on Tatooine. For one, there were a lot more people around. Each place we went to seemed busy to at least some degree. In some places, the party was literally spilling out onto the streets as beings of various shapes and colors stumbled and laughed off to their next destination just as another group would arrive as if to take their place.

Our trio had quickly gotten a few mugs of a local ale along with a pitcher and claimed ourselves a table. Biggs and Wedge had insisted we first raise a glass to Red Squadron, which I was fine with. Except, we started with Commander Drevin and worked our way down the list of deceased pilots until we needed a refill. Then we kept going. Then we reached Gold Squadron, and we kept going. Then we had one for Alderaan.

We still hadn't stopped.

I quickly realized my two friends weren't kidding around tonight about enjoying themselves.

The good times flowed pretty easily once we all became intoxicated. I wasn't really looking to get as drunk as my two friends clearly were, but it didn't help that their refills included my drink as well...

_"Gimme 'nother! I'cn- I'cn take it!" Wedge yelled, slapping the bar and rattling the empty glasses._

_"You lookn' at us?" Biggs asked me aggressively. "You see'n us? Ain't nobody like us! Noboooooody!"_

_"Biggs, who're you talkn' to?" I asked, confused and a little tipsy._

_"Luke, there you are," Biggs responded, sounding relieved all of a sudden. "There was this guy, blonde, lookn' at us like he was better'n us."_

_"Uh huh. Where'd he go?"_

_"I dunno. But we should find 'em. I'll punch 'em __while you __hold 'em__."_

_"Did you just- y'know what? Sure, Biggs. If I see 'em, I'll let you know."_

_"Thanks, man! You're a great pal!"_

_"Uh huh. You're buying the next round."_

...But I still enjoyed myself greatly. One of the places we went to even had a live band playing and they were pretty good, although I think we might've enjoyed ourselves with dancing a little _too_ much...

_It was during one of my more intoxicated moments that I vaguely recall some zeltran women dragging all three of us out to dance with them. I think it was Wedge who introduced us but damn if I could remember more than their faces from the introductions. Suddenly, I was surrounded by people moving in a ways that just confused the hell out of my inebriated mind._

_Dancing, unfortunately, was not a regular activity for me on Tatooine. To be fair, I don't think many people went clubbing on Tatooine. The place wasn't exactly famous for its night life. I had absolutely no idea what kind of dance moves were considered cool or not in this galaxy and I certainly wasn't going to try and imitate the lady across from me who was gyrating her hips in a highly provocative way. __I totally blanked on what sort of dance to do and was just standing there like an idiot for several seconds while my two friends did a semi-passable imitation of whatever the locals were doing._

_After a brief moment of confusion, it occurred to me; I knew of several Earth dances that I could fall back on. _

_I blanked on what exactly came after that realization but according to the next thing I could reliably recall, I had at least twenty beings of various species copying my movements as I taught them to whip and nae nae. The band seemed really into it as well and were happy to provide appropriate, if not precise, musical assistance for the occasion._

_While it seemed to be a huge hit, I was later informed by reliable sources that I had apparently 'invented' _several _cool new dance moves. For the life of me, I couldn't recall the entirety of what I had done while we were there. _

_Of what few memories my inebriated mind managed to retain, I managed to recall some ortolan doing Soulja Boy's 'Superman' dance and falling over a vacant chair he'd backed into. The hazy memory would still manage to send me into fits of laughter long after I'd sobered up._

_Would this be considered innovation or cultural contamination? _

...By the time we'd stumbled out of that last establishment, my buzz was wearing off and both Biggs and Wedge wanted to go to some place they'd overheard some twi'lek girls talking about. It didn't take too much brainpower for me to figure out that my two friends were hoping to locate said twi'lek girls and get lucky tonight. Not that I was opposed to the idea, but there were only the two of them and I didn't much care for being the fifth wheel right now. Plus, I was still feeling pretty beat from all the dancing I'd done earlier.

"I'm just about tapped out, fellas," I told them. "I'll leave you to it and meet you back at the shuttle in the morning, alright?"

"Wha? No way, Luke! You gotta- you gotta- you gotta come with!" Biggs protested, managing to get the sentence out at last.

"Nah, you guys go ahead," I brushed him off gently. "Four's a party, but five would just be crowded. I'll go find my own fun."

"Only if you're sure, boss," Wedge said, apparently having sobered up a bit more than Biggs had. "You still got your comlink and some credits, right?"

"Of course," I said, patting the pocket said items were in. "I'll probably just stroll around a bit and find somewhere to sleep."

I could always crash aboard the shuttle we took to get here but there was something appealing about catching some sleep in a bed that wasn't aboard a spacecraft. I couldn't articulate the real reason if I tried but I suppose that spending months on the move and living aboard the _Resurgent_ had something to do with it.

Wedge got Biggs to follow after him as they both went off to try and find the aforementioned establishment where they hoped to get lucky. Watching them go, I gave serious thought to following them but eventually decided I wasn't in the mood.

Taking in a deep breath of warm night air, I walked off in the opposite direction. The sounds of laughter, music, and even the occasional smashing bottle kept me company as I wandered through the streets.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

I sat down at the small table with my drink. I'd selected one in the back of a quieter establishment I'd found, giving me a better look at the whole room and getting me further away from what little activity there was. In fact, 'quiet' was still fairly relative here, considering that there were still people talking and laughing fairly loudly. Still. it was less rambunctious than the last two places I'd tried, so I decided this would have to do.

Sobering up further from my earlier state, I found myself getting lost in thought again. Thoughts, ideas, plans, all swirled through my mind as I let myself get lost in the background of the nightlife. It was still hours until morning and I'd ducked into a quieter part of town to sit and think for a bit. When a waitress had asked me what I was drinking, I'd just ordered something random off the menu to both get her to go away and not seem rude.

Whatever it was, it was red, sweet, and mildly fruity. I...think it was alcoholic. It was good, at least. I wondered if I could buy some for the _Resurgent_ and the rest of the crew? I'd talk with the supply guys and see about expanding the ship's refreshment options since we'd dropped most of the booze after we took over and drank the rest...

I paused after taking a sip as I realized I was thinking about work when I was still supposed to be relaxing.

_'Maybe the guys have a point,'_ I admitted to myself, frowning into by drink. _'Maybe I_ am _a workaholic.'_

"Find anything interesting?"

The voice broke me out of my self-contemplation. I hadn't even noticed I was staring vacantly into my glass as I had been lost in thought. Looking up, I finally took notice of the person who'd chosen to interrupt my thoughts.

She was a vision of beauty.

Long red hair, beautiful and brilliant green eyes that shone as she looked at me. She had a lovely smile on her heart shaped face and simple, silvery earrings that drew attention to it as they shone brilliantly, catching the light. Her dress was a bit risque by Earth standards. It was a brilliant blue and reminded me of something one would see in a Japanese anime, with long strips of cloth seeming to compose the garment by virtue of being latched together by unseen means. The cut of the dress complimented her slim figure and her long legs, the lower half parting strategically just enough to show off a bit of skin. She wore simple slippers, like a ballet dancer's, on her feet.

To me, she looked absolutely stunning.

_'Woah...'_ I thought to myself as I stared at her. Snapping out of it before I embarrassed myself too much, I decided to say something back.

"I'm sorry," I said sheepishly. "You'd asked me something?"

She smiled a bit more widely as she pointed at my drink.

"It seemed like you were looking for something in the glass just now," she said, pointing to it. "If so, maybe I should refrain from ordering anything if they make a habit of adding hidden surprises to their drinks."

"Oh no," I said with a huff of laughter. "Just a bit lost in thought is all."

"Well," she said, sliding into the chair next to mine. "Maybe you can tell me what's got you so distracted you didn't even notice me walking up to you? Mister...?"

"Clint Eastwood," I introduced with a smile. I couldn't help it, that alias was just too funny to give up. The fact that everyone took it seriously didn't detract from my own amusement one bit.

"Arica," she simply stated. I noted the lack of a last name, but didn't think much of it. Lots of people introduced themselves by only one name or another in this galaxy. Maybe I could try doing that at some point with a new alias? Hmm...maybe Sinbad? No, that's lame. I'll think of something later. Right now, there's an _incredible_ looking woman demanding my attention.

"Are you a recent arrival, Clint?" she asked.

"What makes you ask that?"

"I haven't seen you around here before," she replied simply.

"Maybe I'm just the reclusive sort?" I offered.

"No way," she denied. "I can tell you're not the type. You on the run or something?"

"Only from life's usual problems," I said, lifting my almost empty drink to emphasize my point. She laughed.

"Aren't we all?" she asked, flipping some of her red mane over her shoulder. "Drinking alone is one of the more boring ways of doing it though."

"Oh?" I arched one eyebrow. "And what would you recommend, Miss Arica?"

Before answering, she swiped my drink from where I'd set it down in front of me and drained the rest of it in one long pull. I was so taken aback by the suddenness and audacity of this action, that I didn't even consider stopping her or objecting. She finished and set the glass back down, licking her lips in a slow, deliberate way as she let out a self-satisfied sigh. Amusement danced in her eyes as she looked back at me.

_'If this is her way of propositioning me, I have to give her credit for style, if nothing else. Hot _damn!'

"Follow me to the dance floor and find out," she stated, rising from her seat and holding out her hand for me to take.

The music wasn't _bad_, but had an annoying trait to it that what few lyrics it heard were indecipherable to me as anything other than confused muttering or shouting. The beat was repetitive and had an almost techno quality to it as well as what I think sounded like a woodwind instrument of some kind. I suppose it was fine for this establishment's purposes but I'd have probably preferred if the volume was just a bit lower.

"People dance to this?" I asked, only half joking.

"Of course they do!" Arica insisted with a laugh.

"Well, maybe you can show me how?" I offered, taking her hand in mine.

She led me to the dance floor where we were only one of a handful of patrons who'd actually cared to dance here instead of in one of the livelier joints. Arica gently guided my hands into hers and told me how to move my feet, mimicking hers. It took a few near misses with me nearly stepping on her toes, but I eventually got the handle of it.

'_Okay, maybe this night is really turning around for me,'_ I thought. Arica's hands weren't exactly soft, but their touch was gentle as they guided me through the steps.

"You learn quickly," she commented. "You sure you don't already know how to dance?"

I smiled at the teasing tone in her voice.

"I accept only the finest teachers," I teased back. "It's easy to learn when one simply pays close attention."

"And are you paying attention to me, Mister Eastwood?"

"Absolutely."

And now we were flirting back and forth. This... felt good. This was hardly my first experience with the fairer sex. There were girls back on Tatooine who I'd spent time with, for instance. But it'd never gone past the usual teenage awkwardness, given the fact that they were all my physical age and caught up in the usual teenage drama. And once I'd woken up that fateful day and sought out Kenobi, I hadn't really had the time for messing around with such relationships. And even if I had been, none of them had ever been quite so confident, so... forward as Arica was being.

_'Aunt Beru might not have just been trying to embarrass me, it seems,'_ I thought, moving my hand up and over Arica as she spun before moving it back to her hip. _'Girls from other planets really _do _have strange habits. Although, I didn't think that was supposed to be an endorsement when she said it...'_

This felt nice. We didn't speak much, but I found myself smiling a lot more genuinely, a lot more easily than I had been earlier. Despite having tired myself out with all that partying earlier in the evening, I found that I could've spent the rest of the night on this dance floor, if it had been feasible.

Unfortunately, it seemed all good things must come to an end.

"Hey! You!"

Both Arica and I stopped and turned to look to where someone had just shouted.

"Uh oh," Arica said next to me, causing me to glance at her.

"Friends of yours?" I asked, watching as the ones who shouted pushed their way forward until they stood in front of us.

In front was a weequay wearing a black jumpsuit with a green vest and belt over it. His braids were pulled back into a thick bundle that kept them out of his grey, mottled face. A second weequay stood beside him and wore similar garb but with fewer dreads, which I vaguely recalled being a sign of age or years spent away from home or something. I didn't really give it much thought when I saw who, or rather what was with them. Coming up behind them was a demonic looking fellow I immediately identified as a devoranian. He had a grimace on his face as he stalked behind his companion, revealing sharpened teeth to compliment his reddish-copper skin and bald head adorned with a set of curved horns.

Arica didn't get a chance of my original question as the weequay in front of the group, the leader I supposed, pointed a finger at us and spoke.

"Party's over," he declared. "You're coming with us!"

I tensed just a bit at this demand. Did this guy know I was with the Alliance? I didn't think I was quite notorious yet to have my face recognized but maybe this guy just had good information. Or maybe his boss did? Shit, was this some local criminal trying to get in good with the Hutts by capturing me? If so, the rest of my crew might be in danger. I needed to-

"I don't think so," Arica spoke up. "I told you before, I'm not interested in any offers you boys have to make. You guys are the one with a problem. How about learning to take 'no' for an answer?"

I looked a bit surprisedly over at Arica again as she said that.

"And we say you can't go yet," the weequay snarled back. "You been askin' the wrong questions and to all the wrong people. You may think a pretty smile is enough to get what you want but I say you're coming with us back to our boss' office, where you'll tell us who you're working for and how-"

"Ah," I interrupted, stepping between the two. "Just so we're clear, you're here for her, right? Just her and not me?"

I pointed behind me to Arica as the weequay growled at me and his friends looked miffed at the interruption.

"Obviously," grumbled the devoranian. "Dumbass."

"Oh," I said, letting out a relieved laugh. "Because I was worried there for a second!"

The thugs, Arica, and even the onlookers in the establishment were giving me confused looks. I didn't care to explain it but I was actually relieved they didn't know I was a member of the Alliance. I'd have to cancel shore leave for everyone if there were scumbags out hunting for rebels. The crew would be so disappointed if I was the reason for cancelling their good time. Not to mention the crap the other guys would give me if I was the reason why shore leave went to shit as soon as they let me out of their sight.

"Something funny?" the lead weequay asked.

"Nah," I waved off his question. "You wouldn't get it. But you guys should go."

"What?" was the confused reply.

"I mean," I explained. "I'm not really expecting you to just walk away. That's not how these situations usually work out. I'm just encouraging you, in the strongest and clearest terms possible, that you don't want to pick a fight here and so you should just go. You had your chance, but now you should just go back to your boss and explain that the lady got away. Say that she found herself protection, which is kind of true, or just tell him she got away. Tough break but these things happen, right?"

There was a loud moment of silence in the establishment as my words sank in. It was broken when the thugs all started laughing and a few of the bar's other patrons laughed too.

_'Not the response I hoped for,'_ I sighed internally. _'But it is the one I was expecting.'_

"Pretty boy thinks he's tough guy?" snarked the second weequay, his accent thick. "Mess up that face of yours if you don't go, pretty boy!"

"Pretty boy?" I repeated, amused. "That's very flattering but I'd say I'm more handsome than pretty."

I turned my head to glance at Arica.

"I might just be biased though. What do you think? Handsome or pretty?"

I was rewarded with a devilish smirk for my attempt at humor, though she clearly kept an eye on the thugs and me during the whole exchange.

"Enough of this!" declared the leader, stepping towards me. "Either back away from the girlie or end up in a ditch out front."

"Now, now," I said in a placating manner while also positioning myself between the lead weequay and Arica. "There's no need for that. I'm sure we could just talk this out like reasonable sapients."

"Oh, we'll do plenty of talking," the devoranian said, stepping forward and towering over me. "Just not with you."

I flexed my hands at my sides as I stared up at the tall being. He had a good head and shoulders worth of height over me and probably a good forty-five or fifty kilos as well but I wasn't going to be intimidated by that. None of these guys were Force sensitive and hadn't pulled any blasters yet. I may not have my lightsaber or blaster with me but I still liked my odds so long as I was careful.

While I wouldn't consider myself an expert martial artist, at least not beyond my skill with a lightsaber, the Force allowed me to get away with some subtle and useful tricks. For example, endless hours of saber drills had helped hone my reflexes to an incredible degree. Drawing on the Force let me see and react to danger in ways that went beyond the mythical 'sixth sense' martial artists on Earth only talked about in vague terms or in fiction.

Despite that, I knew to be careful. Kenobi had only a few rudimentary martial skills to pass on to me and we'd focused more on lightsaber drills anyway. I was well aware of my own limitations without my preferred weapons and wasn't looking to attract a lot of unnecessary attention by going all 'uNlImItEd PoWeR' on these random thugs by throwing them through a wall.

But while I wasn't Bruce Lee or wiling to toss Force abilities around carelessly, I was still a dangerous opponent if for no other reason than I had an uncanny ability to get myself out of the path of danger and retaliate before my opponents could catch me. In terms of fighting styles, maybe that made me more like Jackie Chan...?

Refocusing on the here and now, I reached for the Force as I prepared a plan of attack.

_'Take out the leader and the devoranian first,'_ I decided. _'Do it fast enough, hard enough, and I can scare off their buddy and any support from the crowd. Both are humanoid species so most of the same weak points apply-'_

"Hey!"

My head snapped around as I saw the second weequay had also come forward and around me and grabbed Arica by her arm. She was struggling in his grip but the weequay thug was apparently fairly strong. After a few moments of struggle, he apparently grew dissatisfied with her resistance and threw her to the ground, where she hit a chair on her way down and let out a yelp of pain upon impact.

Maybe I was just too much of a gentleman at heart, because I grew incensed at the sight of this. Taking just a few long strides over to the weequay, ignoring my original plan and opponents in the process, I threw out a palm strike at his torso. I'd even added a bit of Force power behind that blow, but maybe too much as the weequay went flying backwards several feet and smashed into a table, scattering the glasses that were left on it and sending splinters and scraps of wood everywhere.

A shocked silence descended upon the establishment.

_'Too strong,'_ I chastised myself. _'I've got to keep it down with flashy moves like that.'_

The technique was one used by Jedi and Sith throughout the ages. Using the Force to enhance the user's physical strikes to deliver devastating blows to one's opponent. There was a story about how Mace Windu had used the technique to dismantle enemy droids in hand to hand combat and that Darth Plagueis had used the technique on some hired assassins when his lightsaber wasn't convenient. I imagine the technique was common enough for any half decent Force user to learn but was more rarely seen since Jedi and Sith placed such an emphasis on lightsabers.

The real trick was timing, concentration, and (in my case) not making it look like I was a Force user by making sure my hands made actual contact with my target. Just waving my hand and sending someone flying was sure to attract all the wrong kinds of attention. I also had to protect my own hands from damage as hitting something with too much strength could hurt me as much as whomever I'm hitting.

With that last hit, I might have overdone it a bit on the power I'd put into it. I'd have to watch out for that in the future.

Satisfied when the bastard didn't get back up, I turned and offered my hand out to Arica. She looked up at me in surprise; not that I blamed her. I certainly didn't look like I had the strength to knock someone so far with just one hit. Such a display of strength might make some people wary.

Nevertheless, she reached up and took my hand. I pulled her to her feet and she stood with all the grace of a dancer. Her clothing didn't seem at all ruffled or damaged and she swept back a single curly lock of red hair as she looked at me.

"Thank you," she said, offering me another brilliant smile. Perfect white teeth shone back at me, showing simple gratitude as I became entranced with the sight.

_'Being a white knight does have its perks. Gotta protec that smile'_ I thought, smiling back.

I was distracted by the sounds of heavy boots shuffling across the floor and the curious sound of metal sliding across metal. Looking to my right, I saw that more guys had shown up and had apparently taken issue with what I'd done to that weequay. There were four in total now, including the first weequay and the devoranian, plus a zabrack, and a spiky and scaly faced fellow I think was a nikto. None of them had blasters, but the weequay and the nikto carried short, metal batons in their hands. And that devoranian still looked ready to snap me in half with his beyond human strength.

Stepping in front of Arica again, I rolled my shoulders as I prepared for whatever came next. "Well, it seems negotiations have broken down. I'm not an unreasonable man though. How about anyone who wants to leave can still do so? I'll even pay for the table since that was _technically_ my fault."

"I think that sounds perfectly fair," Arica chimed in from behind me.

There were some less than satisfied expressions in reaction to my offer. The devoranian in particular didn't seem to agree with that sentiment as he bared his sharp teeth at us in a snarl. Coupled with his red skin and horns, it made for an intimidating sight. At least, it probably did to the average recipient of it. All it made me think was to avoid his mouth if I punched him in the face. The guy probably had a hellish bite to go with that appearance.

The tension was building between the two parties as we stared each other down. Several of the bystanders watching took a few extra steps back as they seemed ready to stick around and enjoy the show, no matter the danger. I spotted the waitress who'd served me earlier among them and idly wondered where the barkeep or owner was. If the answer was 'calling the cops,' then they were certainly taking their sweet time with it.

Only slightly nervous about fighting this many guys without any of my weapons, I couldn't help but let out one last comment as I took a fighting stance, fists up and knees bent.

"I just want to say that I hope you all know what a _horrible_ cliche this is," I sighed. "I take one night off, come into town, I meet a nice girl, and then get into a fight with a bunch of angry bastards too stupid to know when to run. This is such banthashit."

The zabrack apparently decided that was reason enough for him to kick things off. Head lowered, he charged forward and came barreling towards me, headspikes first. Stepping forward and sideways, I dodged the clumsy charge like a bullfighter as the idiot ran headfirst into the bar counter behind us.

_'Some folks just shouldn't fight while intoxicated,'_ I thought bemusedly.

Not stopping to check if the moron had managed to knock himself out or not, I ducked beneath the swing of a baton as the weequay came at me next. His movements were wild, thoughtless, and a clear indicator that he was used to simply using brute strength and sheer violence to fight with it. I was able to dodge him with relative ease and wait for just the right opening to make my move.

I spotted one quickly as one particularly wild swing left the weequay's arms in an awkward position. I stepped forward into the weequay's personal space and made a vicious hand chop at the wrist of the hand holding the baton. The deceptively useful weapon bounced to the floor and rolled, but I was already following up on my assault by delivering a Force enhanced palm strike to the weequay's face.

Unlike with his friend earlier, I kept this one at a pretty low level of power. The blow landed and I felt facial bones crunch beneath my palm as the weequay's head snapped back and he fell to the floor without ceremony. Only the rise and fall of his chest and my connection to the Force informed me that I hadn't gone too far and killed the prick.

The Force screamed another warning as I dropped into a crouch. I just narrowly avoided having two massive arms wrapped around me as the devoranian grabbed empty air. Taking advantage of my new position, I dropped onto my side, balancing and holding myself up on one hand while keeping my legs bent. I shot both legs out simultaneously and delivered a crushing blow to the devilish man's knee.

Fortunately, it seemed that that area was just as vulnerable on his species' as it was on a human's. The devoranian yelled in pain and dropped to his knees from the pain of the hit, just as I registered there had been a snapping sound beneath my boots when they struck him. Thankfully, this was enough to send him falling sideways to the floor and gave me enough time to spring back to my feet.

I wasn't exactly proud of it but there were no rules in a fight beyond what ones both sides believed in. In this case, I believed this big bastard would've strangled me if given the opportunity. Thus, any means I used to keep him from doing so were acceptable to me.

Now, where did that nikto go?

Turning to face the remaining combatant, I noted that he had apparently picked up the fallen baton that I'd knocked out of his friend's hand. After seeing me take down his buddies, including their biggest guy, I could feel the trepidation and fear coming off of him. He brandished the two batons, duel wielding them in a posture that implied he had some real experience or training with them.

Putting my fists up again, I resumed my stance and readied myself. This one would be trickier than his friends. Those batons would do more than just hurt if he landed a good hit with them. I'd have to move quickly and get inside his guard to land a hit, or wait to see if he overextended himself and left himself exposed.

Grinning at me, probably feeling emboldened by my lack of attack, the nikto seemed to decide to show off by twirling the batons in front of himself. They swirled through the air quickly and over his hands in a circular pattern as the nikto suddenly snapped them back into his grip and tensed his legs, preparing to charge me or perhaps jump at me as he made the first move...

...A metal serving tray crashed down on the back of his head.

He stumbled, dropping one of the batons in the process as he was clearly shocked by the blow. The tray crashed down a second time, then a third. That seemed to do the trick, as the poor fellow fell to the floor face first and didn't get back up.

Surprised by this sudden turn of events, I looked to the nikto's assailant.

Arica gave a cursory examination of the tray in her hands. It seemed one of the nikto's headspikes had punched a small hole through the thin metal when she'd hit him with it. Shrugging her shoulders, she tossed the tray onto the body of the fallen nikto with an uncaring expression before turning to me and giving a coy smirk as she saw I had been staring at her.

"You're welcome," she said simply.

I bit my tongue to keep from saying something snarky in response. A few of the fallen combatants looked like they were about to wake up and perhaps try their luck again. Considering our fight had an audience, I didn't want to wait around for the cops or more of their friends to show up, so I made a quick decision.

"Time to make a graceful exit," I brusquely informed her.

She nodded curtly to me and immediately took off for the main door to the establishment, flinging the serving tray she was holding at She nimbly dodging loose objects and fallen thugs with each of her steps as she did so. Fortunately, it seemed nobody else in the establishment wanted to pick up the cause of the fallen thugs and had quickly gotten out of the way.

Heart still beating from the release of adrenaline, the beats still sounding in my ears in quick and rhythmic fashion, I followed barely two steps behind her.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

We headed down the street and ducked through three different side streets before we decided we'd gotten far enough. I don't know how Arica kept pace with me so well in that dress and those shoes but I was glad she seemed up to the task. We decided that walking through the crowd we were passing would help us to blend in well in case anyone had tried to follow us. Of course, the ensuing conversation demanded that I ask one question in particular...

"What the hell did those assholes want with you?" I asked her.

"Nothing that most men aren't after, I presume," Arica shrugged. "My employer had me making inquiries locally and it seemed I asked the wrong question to the wrong person."

That was certainly vague enough to be considered truthful in any context. Which was probably why I wasn't sensing any sort of deception or harmful intentions off of her as I tuned myself to the Force.

"And this employer of yours," I went on, keeping my tone casual. "They usually send you into danger like tonight? Those guys would've had you sorely outnumbered if I hadn't been there."

"I'm sure I would've come up with something," she replied easily. "But you did make that a lot easier than it would've been otherwise, so I owe you thanks for that."

"Ah well," I shrugged helplessly. "I guess I'm just a sucker for a damsel in distress. Just ask anyone who knows me."

And wasn't _that_ a statement of truth?

"A man with your disposition to chivalry and fighting skill must attract interesting company, Clint Eastwood," was the airy response.

I gave as innocent a shrug as I could in response. Inwardly, I felt a flicker of discomfort with how she was saying my alias. Perhaps it was how she repeated the whole thing or the particular inflection of how she spoke it, but I decided to refrain from saying anything more about myself for the time being.

"This is where I'm staying," she said suddenly.

She came to a stop at a corner and I did the same a moment later. We were further away from the louder part of town now and what I considered a safe distance from the establishment where we'd had the fight. Instead of flashing neon and holographic signs loudly displaying the names of bars, gambling dens, and 'exclusive' clubs, there were simpler ones depicting advertisements for hotels and eating establishments. The eateries were mostly closed at this hour, but the place we were in front of still looked open and I could see a well lit lobby just pass the revolving door that led inside.

"You think you'll be alright from here?" I asked her.

"I'd have been alright parting ways at the bar," she stated emphatically. "However, just like back at the bar, I wouldn't say no to good company..."

"Oh?" I asked, smirking as I caught her meaning.

"But let's get one thing out of the way first," she said, turning serious all of a sudden.

She suddenly stepped forward and jabbed a finger right between my eyes, not quite poking me but alerting me by how close she'd suddenly gotten and making me go a bit cross eyed as I watched her finger.

"If you know what's good for you," she intoned seriously. "You won't let me hear you referring to me as a 'damsel' _ever_ again. Got it?"

"Absolutely," I agreed, careful not to nod, less she poke me in the eye with that finger.

A moment later, as I followed after those swaying hips inside, it briefly occurred to me that she'd never answered my questions about her or her employer. I might've been more suspicious or alarmed by this if I couldn't sense a distinct lack of anything malicious from the beautiful and mysterious woman...

Who approached me as a stranger in a bar...

Who'd had me follow her to a place of her choosing...

After I basically had my life threatened by merely being associated with her...

Still, I resolved that it only meant I'd have to pay close attention to her going forward.

Arica shot a smirk over shoulder, her green eyes catching my attention as she made it clear with only her expression that she knew where I had been looking a moment ago. A shiver of electric excitement shot down my spine at the sultry promise that look had to it.

I'd have to pay _very _close attention indeed...

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_The Next Morning..._

The bed was empty when I woke up.

I wasn't surprised, but did feel a pang of disappointment when I didn't see so much as a note. Pushing the feeling aside, I climbed out of bed and quickly ascertained that my clothes and all of my remaining credits from last night were still sitting where I'd left them. Glad that my vanished companion had been kind enough to not rob me on her way out, I checked the chrono on the wall of the room and spent a solid minute and a half parsing out local time and translating into galactic standard (GST).

I cursed as I realized I had to get up and get going if I wanted to make it back to our shuttle in a reasonable time. Wouldn't that be a perfect ending to this little trip? The CO goes missing and my crew turns this port upside down trying to find me. None of my friends would ever let me live it down if I was late because I overslept. Them finding me in a holding cell would be more tolerable.

Getting myself dressed, I decided to make a discreet exit in the event I was left with the room tab. White Knight I may be, but I wasn't looking to pay a room bill I didn't owe. Besides, I got the impression this was a town used to those kinds of things and likely would've taken payment upfront anyway. Still, no sense rolling those dice by telling the front desk I was leaving, right?

I walked through the much quieter streets, only passing the occasional droid or store owner who was cleaning up or getting ready to open for the day. During the local day cycle, this place looked much like any town did. Fewer speeders or transport vehicles than one might expect but there seemed to be at least some kind of rudimentary public transport system operating. Not knowing their schedule or route, I chose to simply walk back to the landing pad by using what landmarks I could pick out and asking a passerby which general direction to head in.

Before long, I reached the landing area where we'd parked our shuttle. The local star had risen a bit more and more people seemed to be getting started with their day by this point, so I assumed it was the equivalent of local mid morning. I was about to start walking down the line of parked craft when I saw Biggs waving to get my attention from across the street. Wedge was standing beside him and eating something, which seemed to require both of his hands. Both seemed almost unnaturally chipper considering the state I saw them in last night.

"Fearless Leader!" Biggs greeted. "Glad we found you! I didn't fancy ripping the town apart looking for you."

Wedge hummed as he chewed, his mouth full. Looking at what he was holding, it looked like some kind of taco filled with some kind of cooked, greasy meat.

"Wedge, what are you eating?"

"Some kind of meat," he answered, careful not to spew the...meat as he spoke. "Bought it from a street vender. It's not bad. You want one?"

"I'll pass, thanks," I answered with a wary look. "I wouldn't call my education on Tatooine first class, but I know not to eat the street meat."

Wedge shrugged, quickly finishing his breakfast without a care in the world. I sincerely hoped, for his sake at least, that he wouldn't regret that later.

The two of them regaled me with the tale of what they did last night or to be more specific, _who_ they did. Those twi'lek girls they met were apparently impressed by the two and the rest of the story pretty much tells itself from there. Thankfully, I was spared the details as the two simply gave smug, dopey grins as they finished the story.

"So," Biggs said, shooting me a look. "Did you have a good time without us?"

"Actually, yes," I informed them. "After you guys went off, I had my own little adventure. Rescued a beautiful woman from some unscrupulous characters, whereafter she chose to show me her appreciation for my display of martial prowess by inviting me back to her hotel."

I waved my hands grandly during the explanation and was about to add something else when-

"You just made that up," Biggs interrupted.

My explanation of the details sputtered to a halt as I shot my oldest friend a look of betrayal.

"What? No I didn't!" I protested.

"You totally did!" he insisted. "You used big, fancy words. Just like when we were kids and you used to lie about what we were up to to your aunt and uncle or my parents. It worked on them but not on me, pal."

"Luke, don't tell us you didn't get any action!" Wedge laughed. "You even made up a whole story? That's just sad, man!"

"It's not like that," I denied. "I'm telling the truth!"

"Uh huh," Wedge agreed. "It's sweet though. Really. You wussing out on coming with us and making up a story about going to a hotel room with a beautiful woman. I didn't realize this was one area you were totally inexperienced in."

"For shame!" Biggs lamented. "To be led into battle by a man who can't seal the deal! What will the other pilots think? What will the crew think?"

"How can one man fight and fly so well, and yet be such a novice with the ladies?"

"It's gotta be a Jedi thing. I heard how they're supposed to be celibate. I just didn't think it wasn't a matter of choice."

"Tragic."

"It really is."

"I hate the both of you," I groused.

Biggs and Wedge laughed themselves silly as they seemed to enjoy their version of events over anything I had to say. The two of them had to stop to prevent themselves from falling over, while I just walked past them.

Eventually, they both caught up to me as we boarded the shuttle and began to take a headcount and doing a preflight inspection. A few of the other crew members were already waiting for us, having gotten back early or simply slept aboard the shuttle to save on credits. The topic of conversation had now shifted to something else, much to my relief.

_'Even with the bar fight, last night wasn't so bad,'_ I thought to myself. _'Even the encounter with the woman of dubious character was actually pretty enjoyable. It was nice to have a night off. Not having to think about galactic affairs or plans was nice, for a change. I'll have to remember to take it easy once in awhile in the future. _

Walking back to our shuttle with my two friends chatting all the way, I hummed appreciatively as I recalled red hair and beautiful green eyes.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_POV Shift_

She sighed contentedly as she walked back to the main street that went through the town. She'd ditched the blue party dress from last night and had instead donned her more practical bodysuit, boots, and a long traveler's jacket. Comforted by the familiar garb, even without a complete loadout of it's usual accompanying weaponry, she made her way through the sparsely populated streets.

Her demeanor and style was so different from last night, it may be difficult for someone to determine they were even the same person. Gone was the flirty 'devil-may-care' attitude of Arica. Instead, there was a predatory air about her as she stalked her way down the streets, sending beings of lesser willpower moving to get out of her path almost before they even realized they were doing it.

_'That,'_ she thought idly. _'Was one crazy night. It seems I have more work to do before I'm finished with this planet.'_

She'd been following leads for weeks through this sector, which had brought her to this particular port at last. According to the data she'd collected, a steady stream of Imperial supplies was being diverted and lost somewhere in the vast network the Empire relied upon to keep itself functioning. It was small at first but eventually added up to a considerable amount of material wealth vanishing. Her master had entrusted her with putting a stop to this and she'd readily accepted.

Originally, she'd been following up on a suspected leak in the Imperial Supply Corps. Imperial bases and outposts were dealing with serious shortages throughout the sector. Rebels had managed to intercept numerous transports all over this sector over the last few weeks and such success heavily implied the existence of either a mole or a critically fatal data leak. Instead, she believed she'd found the real culprit; corruption.

One or more of the local Moffs was dealing under the table to third parties who may or may not be handing information to the rebels. It was even possible he was selling information directly to rebel agents, either knowingly or unknowingly. That would help explain how they'd managed to intercept so many supply shipments in such a short time frame. That kind of data was too valuable to allow the rebels to keep exploiting it, so she needed to track down the source, map out how far the corruption has spread, and then take down the ones behind it.

Last night, she'd been wearing her favorite 'party girl' persona on a snooping mission and had acquired a bit more than she'd set out for. Some of the local criminal elements seemed to think she was looking into whatever illicit operation they were running when really, she'd been after starport logs and travel records.

She didn't know exactly what had gotten them so interested in her (beyond the usual reasons men were interested in her) but she was crediting it to simple bad fortune at this point. Even those morons wouldn't have come after her like that if they even suspected she was with the Empire's intelligence services.

Having not wanted to cause an incident with a pile of dead bodies and risk drawing all the wrong kinds of attention to herself, she'd headed into town to try and give the local trash the slip.

Eventually, she'd succeeded... after a fashion.

She'd drawn far more attention than she'd have liked and had had to postpone her departure for at east a day while the heat at the port died down or she managed to sneak aboard her transport and take off. It delayed her investigation and was annoying in the extreme.

_'Still,'_ she mused. _'At least the night wasn't a total loss.'_

After spotting that group of morons searching for a human female matching her description (no doubt in her mind that she was the one they were looking for), she had come up with a different plan than simply running and hiding to get them off her scent.

She had _thought_ she'd just spotted some gullible looking spacer sitting alone at the bar. She had intended to use him as a distraction for her pursuers. Get him interested in her, let him stand close to her for a bit and then throw him at her pursuers while she made a discreet exit. It was a classic move. Her instructors would've praised her for the quick formulation and execution of such a plan.

It was in the midst of this plan being carried out, while she was about to make her exit, when she'd spotted something very interesting with the spacer.

He could use the Force.

That shove he'd made had definitely had more that the usual force of muscle or technique behind it. Clint had drawn upon the _Force_ to send that weequay flying backwards. The ease and reflexes he'd used afterwards had convinced her that he was at least moderately talented in the Force, just like her. Oh, he may have tried to hide it and have played it more careful for the rest of the fight but she knew what she'd seen. She'd been able to _feel_ it once she knew to look for it.

As he'd held out his hand to help her up from the floor, she'd considered what it might take to bring him back to Imperial Center with her. Her master had always told her to keep an eye out for ex-Jedi or those especially gifted by the Force. Clint was far too young to be a member of the old Jedi Order, but the possibility remained that he had learned from one at some point. On the other hand, he seemed so unlike what one would expect from a Jedi that she was hesitant to think he was one.

For one thing, he was clearly interested in her while interacting with her. The way she'd caught him admiring her had definitely _not_ been platonic and Jedi were largely celibate in nature. Even the rare exceptions painfully stood out in how they kept themselves bottled up. She'd seen none of that in her interactions with Eastwood.

No, she was inclined to think he was a naturally talented Force sensitive who had probably received little to no instruction in his life. Such beings were rare but not unheard of. Rarer still were the ones who learned to tap into those talents without the assistance of a master or access to teaching implements. It was such a rarity that it made her unwilling to completely drop the idea that Eastwood was associated with a Jedi in some way.

While he'd been showing off and wow-ing the other patrons in the establishment by taking down that other weequay and the devoranian, she'd lent her own discreet hand to the situation when nobody, least of all Eastwood, was looking. A swift kick to that zabrack's neck had ensured he wouldn't be getting up soon, if ever again.

She'd been tempted by the idea of just letting that nikto with the batons fight Eastwood to gain a better idea of his skills but had ultimately thought better of it. Instead, she'd chosen to finish the fight on her terms in order to stay close to him for a bit longer. And that decision had yielded it's own rewards when she got him back to the room she'd rented...

_'In more ways than one,'_ she thought, patting the pocket hidden in her belt with assurance.

She'd acquired a few stray hairs while he'd been sleeping and stashed them away before she'd snuck out. They'd make for adequate genetic sampling and would be included in the next report she'd send to her master. Whomever he was or whatever his real story was, the Empire would know who he was and have a record of what he was capable of. Her master could make whatever arrangements he deemed fit in the handling of one Clint Eastwood.

Regrettably, she really wasn't in a position to bring him to Imperial Center herself. She was on a mission and couldn't afford a tag-along, even assuming she'd be able to convince him to come with her and become a part of something greater than himself.

She allowed herself a moment to ponder what it might be like to work with Clint in the future, should he agree to swear himself to her master's cause. Capable agents were rare in her line of work, which was but one of the reasons she preferred working alone. Still, like she'd told the man last night, she wasn't opposed to a partnership so long as the company was good.

Sighing to herself, she discarded those idle thoughts and quickly focused on her new plan. She'd collect her gear from where she'd stashed it, go back to the warehouse, and wipe out those damned thugs who didn't have the first clue as to who they'd crossed last night. There would be a significant reduction in local crime by the end of tomorrow and she'd see to it, no matter if it meant working through the day and night.

_'Ah well,'_ she mused. _'Such is the life of the Emperor's Hand.'_

**AN: *Cue the James Bond theme!***

***Chapter may be edited for spelling and grammar after upload**

**I can't believe I originally meant for this to be a short chapter around 6k words. I just couldn't stop myself as I kept writing! I've also been stuck working a lot of overtime recently, which seriously impacts the time I have to give to writing. It was fortunate I got this out before the end of the month.**

**I'm not particularly inclined to write lemons, given that I don't really have much talent for it. I've tried in the past and just haven't ever been satisfied with the result. The steamy scene you're getting here is probably the limit to what we'll get in this story along with some (hopefully) tasteful innuendo. Some writers can blend sex scenes into their writing, but I'm not one of them.**

**Other thoughts? I think I might've rambled in a place or two but I tried to keep it down. **

**I'd also like to answer some popular questions that've been popping up in the reviews for awhile. I usually like answering them directly but have fallen behind. So, let's get to it!**

_**Q: "Mr. Lennex, are you going to include Ahsoka in here? What about other characters from the Clone Wars and Rebels?"**_

**A: First off, you can call me Lennex. We're all friends here. Mr. MacDuff if you're feeling formal.**

**By popular demand, Ahsoka will come into the story... later. ****She doesn't really have much of a role to play right now and I want her return to feel natural and important instead of her just showing up. We'll get there sooner or later. Until then, just enjoy the ride!**

**I've got some requests for other characters and I ask for patience, dear viewers. Half of the fun is reading and finding out for yourselves!**

_**Q: "Who's Luke's love interest gonna be? Are we gonna see some sexxxy action? ;)"**_

**A: Some of you are serious horndogs. I mean, I know this is the internet, but some of you have been _relentless_. Is quality storytelling meaningless without sex for some of you? **

**To answer, it's pretty open ended at this point. I've got some ideas, as I'm sure this chapter made clear, but this story isn't about the romance. We'll get some, sure, but there's a lot more going on.**

**I'm honestly not that good at writing smut either. I gave it the 'ol collage try and wasn't very satisfied with the result. While I'm not a prude or against showing some steamy stuff or sexually suggestive scenes, I think that if it doesn't contribute to the story then it shouldn't be there. Sorry horndogs, but you'll have to look elsewhere for the time being.**

_**Q: "When's Vader coming back?"**_

**A: Next chapter. Now that we've built up Luke and some other characters for a bit, it's time to go hard into the Vader character for this story. He'll be popping up more frequently as he is so important to the overall plan my Luke has. **

_**Q: "Wait, so if Ahsoka and other characters are gonna be here and you've said you're including stuff from the Vader comics, then is this a Disney canon story or an Legends EU story?"**_

**A: Primarily Legends but with some new stuff sprinkled in.**

**Ahsoka is actually considered a part of the Legends EU, apparently. I was surprised when I found out but some cursory research showed that the time of her character creation makes that reasonable.**

**While we're getting some Disney stuff here, I'm only adding some stuff I think works better than the original EU stuff. Let's face it; if I went hard into the old EU, I'd be writing for a year and a half before getting to the stuff everyone wants to read. The old stuff is great but there's a _lot_ of filler stuff packed in there that I just don't have time for. If its a choice between visiting the one-off planet some random content creator came up with decades ago or pursuing the more original SW story I want to tell you, I'll choose the latter pretty much every time.**

**If it makes you feel better, if there's something I skip over that you REALLY wanted to see, I can be convinced to write an omake or something and put it out to keep you happy. If it helps, I try to keep my timelines _just_ vague enough so you can imagine Luke doing other stuff between chapters or page breaks. It's not like the story has to follow him every time he walks somewhere or goes to the bathroom, right?**

_**Q: "But how does that compute with Luke knowing all this EU stuff? How does he sort it all out between the bullshit?"**_

**A: Banthashit, thank you, and it makes it much harder for him. He has to weigh and consider events around him to try and anticipate what's happening next. There's a LOT of SW content that contradicts itself and makes the timeline rough in places. There's also been so many reboots, comic runs, and novels that some stuff is just pure nonsense. **

**I grounded Crimson Jack in as much realism as I felt was necessary to make that story work, but don't expect that to be the norm. He's an obscure as hell character and I dug him up so we could explore how Han lost his reward money and get the _Resurgent _into the story.**

**Try to think of it as him attempting to research and anticipate as much as he can with what he's got. He can't fix every problem right away, but he's doing what he can with what he's got and prioritizing the biggest problems with the most likely events or ones he can verify happened or affect his plans in some way. **

**One man can do a lot, but he can't save every_one_, every_where_, every _time_.**

_**Q: Did you know it's spelled 'Lennox' in the Shakespeare play? Why did you spell it wrong?"**_

**A: Piss off. This Q & A is over.**

**On a more serious note, there's a lot of social tension and even violence in areas where many of my readers live. I see a good bit of that where I'm living too, which plays hell on my work life. I just want to encourage everyone to make smart choices, be careful about blindly believing what you hear, and just be good to yourselves and your neighbors. **

**There's a lot of folks who like to thrive off of this chaos and make things worse, but I fully believe that this too shall pass. To quote a wise mutant from a post-apocalyptic wasteland, 'in all things, a calm heart must prevail.'**

**Until next time!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan written story. Star Wars or any of the associated properties mentioned in this story are all owned by Disney and their respective companies, authors and/or corporations. This is purely a work of fiction written for pleasure and nonprofit. Please support the official release.**

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**Read the Author's Note at the end for information about how _you _can support my writing going forward!**

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**Skywalker: Resurgent Ch.12: We Meet Again, At Last**

_Years Ago, Tatooine..._

"You're not going to move me on this."

Kenobi looked ready to rip out what hair he had left in frustration before regaining control of himself. Instead, he simply pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh.

We were sitting on the couch in the small living room at Kenobi's shack. I'd _hoped_ that we could work on my telekinesis today but hadn't objected when Kenobi had wanted to press me for more details on what I wanted for the future. I'd given him a more detailed rundown on what I hoped for in the next few years, including major milestones such at the Death Star being completed and other important events and people. To keep my hands busy, I was also doing some repairs on spare parts for Kenobi's vaporator. Not being the most mechanically inclined individual, I figured I'd be helpful and probably save him a trip in to town to get replacements if and when his broke down and needed a new part.

Given the current path of this discussion, I kinda wished that I had tried harder to avoid the topic entirely. Though I had to admit, it was probably inevitable anyway that we'd hash it out over this particular sore spot.

"I understand why you'd want to save him, Luke," he tried again. "And your visions have shown you the way to make it happen-"

"To clarify," I interrupted. "They give me insight into how it can be achieved. The exact circumstances I've 'seen' may never be recreated. The information they provide though?_ That_ I can use."

"Possible futures," Kenobi stressed slowly. "Insights into the past are one thing but the future is fluid; always moving and changing. You can't count on even the vaguest outlines to come to pass if even the _smallest_ detail is altered. A simple choice of left or right may be enough to alter everything that comes after!"

"But seeing a pattern and analyzing facts can still provide useful information," I returned.

Kenobi now steepled his fingers in front of his face and leaned his forehead into them as he spoke next.

"Luke," he spoke as tones of sadness creeped into his voice. "I know he's your father. I also know what I saw in those recordings of his assault on the temple. And I'll never forget how he acted as we battled on Mustafar. Bringing him back to the Light may be beyond even you."

"And I believe differently," I replied calmly. "I don't just know there's a spark of goodness in him, I've seen it. I've also seen how that poor, damaged boy was never given the help he needed to come to terms with his issues. You're not at fault any more than the dozens of other people in his life are for what happened. The blame can't be placed at your feet any more than it can be attributed to any one individual.

"The fact is; the system failed him.

"What does it say about the future I want to build - the better Jedi Order we want to create - if we don't even try to save one man when we have so many advantages in doing so? When so much _good_ can come from this one act of mercy? He should be the strongest example of _why_ we should do things differently, not just another enemy to slay on the road to victory."

I paused here to let my words sink in before continuing. Kenobi's brow was furrowed in thought as he contemplated what I was saying.

"More than it being the right thing to do, I think it's also necessary. For a better future, a better Jedi Order, a better _galaxy_, I need to bring him on board with us."

And that wasn't an exaggeration. I don't claim to be some kind of socio-political genius or to have gone to the Light/Zero School for gifted kids or something, but I did have a fairly good grasp of people, events, and of the underlying themes and patterns of this universe.

Reading a lot of source material and debating with diehard geeks certainly helped too.

In any case, hours upon hours of holonet research had helped get me what I felt was a firm grasp of things. Comparing to what I could find with the 'Big Picture' as I saw it, I could only come to one conclusion; turning Vader against his master was one of the most important things I could possibly to for the outcome of this war and to ensure galactic stability.

If I hardened my heart and ended up killing the man (something I was hesitant to contemplate, even in my more ruthless moments of thought), it wouldn't help as much as some might think. For one, the Emperor had any number of servants he could throw at me in retaliation and any number who might make adequate apprentices or even just acolytes until a true apprentice could be found. Force forbid he find and train an actual apprentice instead of an attack dog to send after me. With his repositories of knowledge and storehouses full of artifacts, even a mundane Dark Side user could be considered a real threat to even a trained and prepared Jedi. Never mind what a truly talented individual might be capable of with a certain creepy old bastard feeding them select lessons and getting them high on Dark Side energies.

In addition to not wanting to roll those dice, I was seriously concerned about the psychological burden I'd be taking onto myself by committing patricide. Such an act struck deep, ingrained psychological chords in the human mind. It was bad enough when it occurred in the likes of a no-win scenario or was the result of sound and deliberate reasoning. Doing it when you know, _you know_, there might have been a better way?

It's enough to push a man over the edge. And for someone like me, in my position? Not going off the deep end was probably the biggest favor I could do for galactic civilization. The last thing I or anyone needed was for me to accumulate mental scars until I drove myself to the breaking point or left myself weak at a critical moment when a calm heart and mind will be needed.

"He doesn't want to be a bad person," I stressed, keeping these dark thoughts to myself. "Few beings wake up in the morning and think of themselves as the villain. _He does_ though. He's been punishing himself every day for the better part of two decades. More than a few times, he's longed for death or arranged circumstances where he might be killed."

I held out a finger while making my next point.

"If I had to speculate, he's either still alive because his innate will to live is simply too strong, or he's convinced himself that continuing to live is his punishment for all he's done. He may have also convinced himself that the Empire is his fault, given his role in its creation, so he'll push forward to ensure it'll stand the test of time. In any of those cases, it's a pretty bleak worldview. He's not just embraced his darker impulses; he's become trapped in them.

"Realizing he has a son is the perfect catalyst he needs to be pulled out of that headspace. It's proof that not only did his bastard of a master lie to him but it's also just the thing to get him thinking of the future beyond his next mission or target. If I can get to him before certain, let's say darker, ideas can take root, then I can get him onto our side. Healing and forgiveness can come later. It'll be like climbing one mountain at a time when dealing with him but sooner or later, we'll climb them all."

Kenobi was quiet for a long moment after I finished speaking. I could tell he was thinking seriously about what to say next so I refrained from speaking again, instead choosing to tinker with the vaporator part while I waited for him to articulate his next point.

"I wonder," Kenobi mused idly. "If you'd extend the same opportunity for redemption to the Emperor, if given the chance."

That suggestion was so far afield of what I expected to hear next, I was genuinely thrown for a second and thus answered immediately and with pure honesty.

"Oh hell no," I disagreed immediately. "That one went off the deep end decades ago and cackled evilly every step along the way. He's totally flown over the cuckoo's nest and needs to be taken down. I'm a fan of decapitation via lightsaber, myself."

"While I have no idea what that last idiom meant," he replied, quirking the corner of his mouth upwards. "I believe I still understood enough based on context. I'll admit that it is quite a relief for me to hear you say that."

"I'm not going to put the galaxy at risk by granting everyone and anyone a chance at redemption," I assured him. "But I will do my damnedest to help those who need it. We can't save everyone but that doesn't mean we don't try to help as many as we can."

The 'old' Luke Skywalker may have had a penchant for giving everyone a second chance but even he had his limits. I like to think I was a little more world-weary and aware of people and systems than the old Luke was at this time and, hopefully, less prone to repeating mistakes. With that, I also hoped to take advantage of certain opportunities. Saving my father from a painful and regret filled death was just one such example.

"But I am willing to meet you part way on this," I continued our conversation. "I promise you that I will not allow myself to be captured by him. Even disregarding the possibility of being hauled in front of the Emperor, going with him is far too risky. And if it comes down to it... I'll do what's necessary to stop him. It'll be my last option, it'll endanger so many future plans, and it'll be years until I'm skilled enough to pull it off but I promise."

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_The Present..._

A short while ago, Jabba the Hutt had sent out an order for an envoy to meet with the Empire in an official capacity. According to the intercepted communications and Alliance Intelligence reports, the purpose of the meeting was for the Empire to negotiate for materials and resources that were otherwise inaccessible to them in Hutt territory. Both Jabba and our intelligence experts apparently agreed that this was a bid by the Empire to make up for the sudden and massive loss of men and material brought about by the Death Star's destruction. They needed resources and dealing with the Hutts was an expedient way of getting them without straining their own stockpiles or resources too much.

Unfortunately for them, the Alliance was on top of the situation. The courier had been intercepted almost as quickly as he'd been given his orders by Jabba and had had his ship and crew seized. Rather than simply delay the negotiations by making the envoy disappear, Leia had been the one to come up with another idea. We'd take the envoy's ship and make the rendezvous ourselves. Once we got access to the Imperial factory where the negotiations were supposed to take place, we'd spring the surprise and trash the factory ourselves from the inside.

Thus, the Alliance began its plan to take down Weapons Factory Alpha on Cymoon I.

Already rather familiar with the plan, as well as Cymoon I, I praised Leia for the idea as well as its ambition. Success in this operation wouldn't just make the Empire wary of any other deals with the Hutts in the future but cripple military production in this sector of space as its largest production center was destroyed.

Since I was not only aware of how this operation was supposed to go in its original timeline, but also a ranking officer in the Alliance forces myself, I decided to add my own two decicreds to the operation plan and make a few adjustments. Thusly, we were a bit better prepared for the operation as Chewie departed with Threepio for their own role in the _Falcon_ a day before we did.

It was good to be doing missions with the 'old gang' again. Kenobi was off doing his own thing and Chewie was on his own with Threepio but Han, Leia, Artoo, and I were making this journey together. From my own perspective, these guys were all icons in their own way and heroes a dozen times over. More than that, they were my friends now too. Every one of them filled a niche in our little group and I appreciated every one of them in their own way. Even Threepio, who really was a chatterbox whenever he was around, was balanced out by Artoo who did a good job of distracting him. Those two were always bickering about anything and everything but also provided us with invaluable support when we needed them.

Han was our daring pilot with Chewbacca as the mechanic/muscle. Both were crack shots and had a natural level of talent for the seedier side of life that the rest of us simply lacked. Han was a bit much to work with sometimes, given his streak of independence and mistrust of authority, but he was also reliable and steady in the midst of the most dangerous situations. His brash, often headstrong personality was tempered by Chewbacca's quiet wisdom and loyal nature. His dedication to Han, and by extension us, was plain to see and brought us all a degree of reassurance. In a suicide charge, I'd count on Han to be first, Chewie watching our backs, and for them to figure out a way to survive against all the odds.

Leia was more or less the one in charge outside of a combat situation. Royal and Alliance rank aside, she had a natural air of leadership around her that made everyone, even me, more ready to listen to her when she spoke. She wasn't a particularly strong military leader like Dodonna or Ackbar, not being a soldier by nature, but she could still give intelligent orders and have people _want_ to follow them. It was her ability to read others and resolve conflict that was truly exceptional and let her stand out amongst us.

I might be able to lead men into battle and inspire fighting spirit but Leia was the kind of leader who excelled in making someone believe in what they were doing. While swapping stories whenever we traveled together, I found out that Leia had done an exceptional job in regards to building the Alliance's support base. I wasn't sure if it was an aspect of her own latent Force potential or not but it was a rare and remarkable talent nonetheless.

Speaking of latent Force talent, that was an overdue conversation she and I needed to have. Perhaps after the mission, I would have to make sure we had the time to sit down and discuss it. I didn't expect Leia to jump into Force training like I had but I fully intended to make her aware of her abilities as well as our blood relation. There were a few useful tricks I could impart that I was sure she'd be happy to learn. Bizarre circumstances aside, it'd be nice to have a cool sister to share these things with.

And speaking of sharing; teaching useful tricks was exactly what I intended to do with Han now that we had some spare time together. Unfortunately, Han was a... reluctant learner.

"I'm not looking to become a part of your secret cult, Luke," Han sighed, exasperated.

"First off," I began, also getting a bit exasperated. "It's not a 'secret cult.' If you've been paying the slightest bit of attention, then you already know that term is completely against what I'm about. Second, I'm not saying I want to turn you into a lightsaber wielding badass. Frankly speaking, you don't have the right temperament or skill set for it. What I'm saying is that there are some useful skills I can teach you that may seriously help you one day."

Han and I were hanging out in the envoy ship's small lounge. The ship was on autopilot and set for our trip through hyperspace. Leia was going over something with Mon Mothma over the hypercomm while we were still far enough away from any Imperials who might try to listen in, special envoy or not.

Han, as much as I liked the guy, could also be kind of a sarcastic ass at times. I wish Chewie was here since he seemed more like the type willing to listen which was probably a benefit of his age and innate wisdom. The big Wookiee was surprisingly insightful and considerate at times, which helped balance out Han's more brash nature. While I was happy to teach the big guy if he wanted to learn, he wasn't really my target audience for this lesson.

"There are techniques guys like you can use to protect themselves," I reiterated. "Mental exercises you can do on your own which may help you in a pinch."

"Guys like me?" Han asked, getting defensive. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Relax," I said calmingly. "I just mean non-Force users. Unless you want to pretend you still don't believe in the Force?"

Han grumbled something under his breath.

I smiled.

"The techniques are actually pretty simple," I explained further. "I would like to try teaching them to you, if you'd let me."

"Couldn't you just teach it to Chewie or Leia instead?" Han asked in an attempt to deflect. "They're both much more interested in that stuff than I am."

"Actually, Chewie has an advantage over you in this regard," I informed him. "Humans tend to have difficulty reading and influencing non-human minds and vice versa. Since the overwhelming majority of Force using enemies we might face are human, he'd posses an advantage in warding off mental influence from all but the most powerful and talented. That, coupled with his age, should make him naturally resilient to such influencing. Still, you're probably right that he'd be more interested when I make the same offer to him."

Wasn't there supposed to be a Wookiee with Force potential out there somewhere? I'm pretty sure they were related to Chewie somehow. Lewbacca, or Lowbacca, or something? I'd have to check my notes later. I had likely already written that down somewhere but double checking never hurt with something so potentially important...

"Should I be ready for that?" he suddenly asked. "Someone trying to mess with my mind, I mean. This another one of your 'vision' things?" he asked, using air quotes to emphasize his apparent lingering skepticism over the source of my knowledge.

"Kinda," I admitted. "More like, I know these threats exist and I want you protected from them. I could even just explain the basic idea of it to you now and you could decide how much practice you wanted to put in yourself."

As aloof as Han was in our interactions, I could tell he was interested. He'd never gotten a look at how scary techniques like Force Persuade or Dominate Mind could be, but most people were naturally wary of the whole concept of mind control. Even a natural skeptic like Han couldn't help but be a little interested when told there was a learnable trick to avoid or deflect such techniques.

"Alright," he finally let out. "I'll bite. How's it work?"

"Awesome," I replied, with a grin. "First question; how good are you at counting cards in your head?"

Han's level stare didn't discourage my responding grin one bit as I launched into my explanation.

I was totally ripping this off from a technique described by the soldier, turned torturer, turned scoundrel, turned Jedi, Atton Rand. A few millennia ago, during the Jedi Civil War, he had been a capable soldier who'd joined Revan after he came back from the Unknown Regions with Malak and started calling themselves Sith. His special talents seemed to be in killing Jedi without the aid of the Force, which he had not learned to access at the time.

As he'd explained it to Meetra Surik, he'd figured out that by occupying his mind completely with some mundane task or overpowering emotion, he could block out the influence of Force users or even conceal himself from detection in a crowd. He used this to gain the upper hand on Jedi he had to kill and developed it to such a degree, that he was capable of warding off Jedi and Sith mental abilities entirely. Later, he taught these techniques to her as she reawakened her own connection to the Force. The greatest asset to this technique was that just about anyone could learn it, not just Force users. This was perhaps the strongest technique I knew of for a non-Force user to take on a Jedi or Sith and give them a chance to win.

While I didn't expect Han wanted to hear me teach him how to kill Jedi, he also wasn't against learning to defend himself from such attacks. Because let's face it; psychics are prone to making people nervous. The Han Solo of legend had more than one run-in with powerful Dark Side users in his lifetime and I couldn't always be around to protect him. Chewie I was less worried about, given his own innate resilience to such things. Nevertheless, I would be checking in with him at some point to see if he wished to learn it. And it would give me a chance to practice my Shyriiwook, so that's a plus.

I'd just finished giving the pair their first lesson when Leia came in with a datapad in her hand. She plopped gracefully onto an available chair before sliding bonelessly into the comfortable seat and letting out a loud and long sigh.

"Everything alright?" I asked. "You look pretty beat."

"Fine, fine," she waved off. "Just... processing is all."

"Alliance brass giving you a hard time over the comm?" Han asked.

"No," she sighed again. "It's actually good news, I suppose. Here."

She held out the datapad in her hand in our direction, seeming uncaring who took it. Han reached for it but I swiped it first by virtue of being closer. Turning the pad over, I was greeted with a wall of text. Blinking, I began reading through the first few lines. Realizing what I was seeing, a grin stretched across my face as I looked up to Leia.

"It's done then?" I asked, elated. "It's out? Since when?"

"Since about twenty hours ago," she answered. "It's being linked through as many data nodes, planetary and Imperial networks as we have access to, which is a lot. Mon asked a favor of the Bothans and requested them to push it through Shadowcast. It'll be popping up the galaxy over within a week."

I blinked again in surprise as I processed that. The Shadowcast network was the main reason the Bothans remained a major player in the intelligence communities of the galaxy. In simple terms, it could be considered this galaxy's own counterpart to Earth's own 'Dark Net' that had been created and cast out like a net over a significant portion of civilized space by riding the currents of the more mainstream holonet. The genius of it lay in how the Bothans had managed to digitally tie encrypted communications to commercial advertisements and essentially 'piggybacked' data packets wherever the advertisements would go. So not only was pesky corporate greed helping run the Alliance unknowingly (and thus, free of charge), but most of those channels used also were paid for by Imperial propaganda services.

Given how persistent those networks were about reaching every sentient capable of understanding spoken or written language, a week was a conservative estimate.

"For those of us in the audience," Han piped up. "Could someone explain what we're talking about here?"

"See for yourself, Han!" I said, cheerily offering him the datapad. "First edition, don't want to miss it!"

Han made a face at me as he snatched the pad out of my hand and looked at it for himself. After about a minute, Han looked up and at me.

"What's this? Your thesis paper?" he quipped. "I didn't think Kenobi gave you homework."

"He doesn't, smart guy," I fired back. "You're holding a weapon in your hand. One I fully intend to use to strike back at that wrinkly old bastard who fancies himself the ruler of the galaxy."

"Your weapon is an essay?" Han asked skeptically, looking the contents over again.

"Don't dismiss the power of literature so quickly, Han," I warned him. "Old Man Palps had control of the story for too long and used it to his advantage to cement his version of events and spread misinformation. Not getting their own story out was probably one of the worst things the Jedi did that contributed to their fall. So far as I'm concerned, the Alliance has been having only marginal success in fighting that misinformation. Now, it'll be different."

"Different how?" Han asked, scrolling down the text on the pad.

"Because we didn't have any Jedi like Luke before," Leia took over explaining. "Someone who is not only familiar with the subject material enough to not make a serious blunder but also willing to share information like he is. For all the good they did, the Jedi were a _very_ secretive bunch. Now, we have someone who can credibly start to fight back against all the secrecy and misinformation."

"And start to get people more familiar with this cosmic power they live with," I added. "Fear is one of the Sith's and Palpatine's greatest weapons. By shining a light where he'd never expect us to, we can start pushing back that fear and replacing ignorance with some knowledge. Curiosity will be as much our weapon in this case as the words themselves. You'd be absolutely amazed at how much detail has been forgotten or left out of history texts involving Jedi and Sith. If we weren't currently in the middle of a galactic civil war, I'd consider publishing for profit."

And it didn't hurt that I was focusing more on recent history at the moment. People would be more willing to believe my writings if I alluded to recent events and individuals that people are still alive to remember. As much as the Empire had worked to suppress the good image the Jedi had built up for themselves, they couldn't stop people from _remembering_. Not everyone and not everywhere. Living memory will feed my credibility for now and give me ground to stand on as I reached further back into history as time went on. While my sources for events millennia ago were less available to folks today, my intent was to draw a tapestry for my readers and let them see where we came from and how we got here.

I let out a snort of suppressed laughter as Leia snatched her datapad out of Han's hands and told him to get his own copy. The two began another bickering session until Leia just transferred a copy over to another datapad so Han could read it himself.

_'Oh Palpatine,'_ I laughed mentally while, watching my two friends with bemusement. _'Will you be able to resist becoming a reader yourself once I begin diving into Sith lore? I wonder what you will have to say for yourself once people begin to ask awkward questions?'_

The thought of teaching Darth Sidious about the legacy of his own cult amused me more than it scared me. The man doubtless had a substantial collection of Sith artifacts stashed away somewhere and knew plenty already. How much of that information was useful, I wonder? How many Sith talked about their failures over their successes? Those failures, which were going to be the whole point of my writings on the Sith?

As amusing as it was though, I still had the presence of mind to be worried about consequences. Which was probably why I couldn't seem to rid myself of that small kernel of fear within me as I had just committed to reveal a large source of Sith knowledge outside of that madman's control.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

We arrived in system and landed without any issue. Transmitting our clearance codes, we held our breath for a bit as our stolen ship was scanned over a dozen times from different locations on the surface and the orbital station. Eventually, we got the clearance to land on the designated landing zone with complimentary warnings to not deviate from our course.

A short time later, I was descending down the ramp after Han with Leia to my right and Artoo following along behind us. There was the expected squad of stormtroopers there to stand guard but at the head of them was a trio of officers in their grey uniforms and caps. Two were younger looking but the one standing between them was clearly much older and had more ornamentation on his uniform, pegging him as the guy in charge. A protocol droid with a bulbous head stood beside them and a bit behind, simply observing until called upon.

Leia and I were wearing typical Hutt ceremonial armor with a concealing helmet, since she was very recognizable among Imperials and I was almost certainly a wanted man myself by this point. We carried the typical halberd/blaster combination staves that were typical of ceremonial Hutt guards and looked more intimidating than they were deadly. While the idea of a polearm/firearm combination seemed interesting when I'd first seen it, reality fell far short of my imagination. The poorly weighted and seemingly decorative weapon rested heavily against our shoulders as we marched behind Han.

"Welcome to Cymoon I and Weapons Factory Alpha," the lead officer stated loudly and clearly as we descended the ramp. "To whom do I have the honor of addressing?"

Han had insisted that if he was going to do this, they were going to let him act in a way he saw fit as someone who'd _actually_ worked for Jabba and knew what was expected of an emissary. We'd agreed to this well in advance, as Han explained that the Imperials would get suspicious if he didn't act as authentic as possible in this circumstance. He had to play on their expectations as much as possible to get them to let down their guard.

"I," he began grandly, sweeping his arms open wide. "Am the official emissary of his High Exaltedness, the Illustrious, Jabba the Great. Mightiest of all Hutts, Master of Tattooine, and Grand Warlord of the Outer Rim. But can call me Han. That is, _Captain_ Han Solo."

_'To Han, 'authentic' seems to mean acting like a total showboat,'_ I thought amusedly.

"Identity confirmed," a protocol droid informed everyone present. "Emissary: Han Solo. Small-time smuggler and known associate of Jabba the Hutt."

"Woah, woah, 'small time?'" Han objected. "Better update your droid's databanks. There should also be a 'captain' in there somewhere."

"I am Overseer Aggadeen," the lead officer identified himself, seeming to ignore Han's remark. "Your arrival was expected. If you-"

"Pleasure to meet 'cha, Aggie!" Han interrupted him and grasped the man's hand in greeting. "Real pleasure! Been working for Jabba for a couple of years now, so I'm sure you've heard of me."

"I'm afraid we don't hear much of smugglers or gangsters in this sector unless they're being executed," the Overseer informed dryly, removing his hand from Han's grip. "Your guards are free to remain at the ship but if they insist on coming along, they'll have to turn over their weapons. This is a secure facility and no weapons are allowed, even into the administration sector."

"No problem at all!" Han waved off. "These boys ain't got a problem with it either; do ya, fellas?"

Han was really hamming it up with his performance here. Still, everything seemed to be going well enough so far. With total silence, we handed over the cumbersome ceremonial weaponry to the stormtroopers present. After disarming ourselves, we fell into position behind Han while the a pair of armed stormtroopers fell into position behind us.

"Is that everything?" a skeptical looking lieutenant asked, looking at us and Han.

"Hey," Han said, holding his arms out. "What you see is what you get. Why would I come to a negotiation armed?"

The officer gave a skeptical look before holding up a scanning wand and running it over each of us for a few seconds. After completing his scan, the lieutenant gave a thin-lipped nod of assent to the Overseer, apparently content with the results of his scanner.

With a thin veneer of courtesy, Aggadeen invited us to follow him to the conference room where the negotiations would take place. Along the way, the rest of the party broke off until it was just the two armed troopers behind us and watching for any excuse to shoot us. As we ventured down the passageway and listened to the Overseer droll on about the efficiency of 'his' factory and the levels of output, I kept a wary mind's eye on the two troopers behind us as well as observing the sheer scale of production as I watched a factory floor where it looked like a dozen AT-STs were having armored plating installed over their cockpits. Whatever else this place was, it certainly looked impressive.

"This facility is a testament to Imperial efficiency," Aggadeen droned on. "Fully automated. Capable of providing the Imperial Armed Forces with any and all equipment necessary to conquer whole worlds. Walkers, blasters, armor, even fightercraft. Factory Alpha operates on a level the Outer Rim worlds simply cannot match."

"Real impressive," Han assured him, still using an aloof tone. "Even more striking considering how that even with all of this," he gestured to the factory floor below us. "You still had to reach out to the Hutts to make up for recent losses. I should warn you; Jabba's a tough negotiator and he's left me with strict instructions. Your guy isn't gonna have an easy time here."

"There will be no negotiations, Mr. Solo," Aggadeen replied coldly. "Upon arrival, the representative will state the Empire's demands which will be accepted by you as the Hutt's envoy. The Empire is vast. We simply have no time to cater to every small-time smuggler and two bit crime lord who thinks themselves worthy of attention."

"Catering to criminals _at all_ isn't the Empire's usual style," Han pointed out, seeming to take no offense at the Overseer's words. "How many credits did the Empire lose when the Death Star blew up? How many zeroes in that price tag? All those years of construction, atop of the loss in equipment and personnel? The fact that you're reaching out to 'small-time smugglers' and 'two bit crime lords' means you can only be desperate. Which means your position isn't so strong as you like to claim. Or am I wrong?"

Aggadeen clenched his jaw hard and I felt the stormtroopers behind us stiffen and tighten their grips on their weapons at Han's words.

_'Guess he touched a nerve there,'_ I thought. '_Just don't overplay our hand here, Han...'_

Fortunately, it seemed our little guided stroll was about to come to an end. We arrived at a nondescript looking door, barely any different from the dozens we'd passed on the way here. Aggadeen stopped in font of it and turned stiffly to face us, likely still put out by Han's remarks and having to take lip from him as an 'emissary.'

"You may wait inside while the Empire's representative makes his way here," he informed us. "There's-"

"Nah, nah, nah," Han tutted, interrupting him. "This ain't gonna work."

"Excuse you?" Aggadeen asked, clearly peeved at being interrupted.

"I'd prefer we do our talking elsewhere," Han said, stroking his chin. "Like, say... on the factory floor?"

"The factory fl-" Aggadeen repeated, incredulous. "Have you taken leave of your senses? Why would we ever conduct any sort of business down _there?"_

"You said it yourself, Aggie," Han said, smile turning vicious. "This isn't a negotiation."

Han suddenly swing his fist forward, landing a punch right in the Overseer's gut and stunning the older man while sending him backwards into the wall.

Not giving the stormtroopers a chance to respond, Leia and I both spun quickly and set upon our armed guards. My trooper was taken completely unawares as I grabbed his blaster rifle and ripped it out of his hands while kicking him hard at the spot just between the torso and gut section of his armor. The trooper stumbled back and attempted to recover but was too slow as I rushed him and slammed his helmeted head into the nearby wall. While somewhat protected from trauma, the blow still sent the trooper's head rattling inside the helmet like a bell. I repeated the attack one more time before letting the trooper slump to the ground, dazed but still clearly consious. My newly acquired blaster rifle fixed that as I turned it on its previous owner and fired two stun shots into him.

We'd discussed it before the operation and had agreed that while we weren't against killing for the sake of the mission, stunning had the benefit of not being nearly as loud or messy. Thus, we'd avoid leaving damaged armor bits, charred flesh, and a peculiar burning smell in our wake as we bought ourselves more time for the operation.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Leia had chosen a more 'blunt' approach and had decided to use her helmet as a weapon to attack her target. Crude, though I couldn't argue with the results as even with his helmet on, those blows must've still hurt. Worse was when the beaten trooper had Artoo roll up to him and give him a serious shock with his extended stun pike, putting him down for the count. Leia scooped up the fallen trooper's weapon a moment later, picking up a blaster pistol and passing it to Han as she did so.

Han wordlessly accepted the blaster pistol and made a quick examination of the weapon, checking the power pack and nodding in satisfaction as he powered it up.

"What kind of envoy are you?" Aggadeen sputtered, having recovered from being knocked back and staring incredulously at us.

Han levelled the blaster pistol between the Overseer's eyes and gave an insufferable smirk as he replied;

"The Rebellious kind."

"Nice one," I complimented him, unstrapping the uncomfortable armor I was wearing and choosing to go in just the plain shirt and pants I had underneath.

"Now," Han continued. "How's about you show us where the main power core for this facility is located, Aggie?"

"You're mad," the shocked Overseer said, seeming to regain some of his nerve. "All of you! Weapon's Factory Alpha is one of the most secure and guarded locations in the sector! What do you think you'll accomplish with this besides your deaths?"

"Don't you worry about what we're here for," Han said, pressing the barrel of the blaster against Aggadeen's forehead for emphasis. "Just point us in the right direction."

Aggadeen bit his lip and I could see beads of perspiration begin to form on his brow as he stared back at Han, terrified but defiant.

"Hard way it is then," Han sighed, stepping back a pace while keeping his weapon covering Aggadeen. "Artoo?"

Said droid warbled and rolled towards the cowering Imperial. Said officer looked contemptuous at the little droid until Artoo extended his electrified stun pike once again. I found it more than a little amusing that he seemed to be aiming to jab the Imperial in the groin this time as small arcs of the electric charge wrapped around the deceptively harmful weapon.

"Alright, alright!" the Overseer cried out as he tried to press himself harder against the wall and away from Artoo's advance. "Sublevel One, east end of the complex directly accross from us!"

"Thanks, Aggie," Han replied cheerily. "Anyone else care to do the honors?"

Before I could so much as raise my blaster to stun the prisoner, Leia stepped up and sent the man sprawling to the side with a mean looking left hook.

"You know we have a stun setting for that, right?" I asked, hitting the Overseer with such a blast for emphasis. "See?"

"I know," she replied simply, rubbing her left knuckles.

"Nice," Han complimented, smirking. "Let's move."

As quickly and as quietly as possible, we deposited the fallen bodies and our discarded armor pieces in the conference room to get them out of sight before proceeding deeper into the facility towards our objective.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

"That's our target," Leia stated.

A rather unnecessary statement, given the sight of the thing. The power core for the factory was one level below the main factory floor and seemed to be an almost stereotypical example of such devices with large columns and parts resembling a turbine of some sort. And as seemed per the norm for massive power sources, it hummed loudly and even glowed in certain areas, casting odd shadows as it contrasted with the standard lighting above us.

The sounds of industrial equipment did an excellent job in muffling our progress as we'd passed through the factory floor to reach our destination while encountering only mouse droids, which were harmless for the most part, and automated machinery. We'd hurried to get ourselves out of sight and encountered a sign clearly written in Arubesh that pointed us to where we were now.

"Artoo," I said, pointing to the main console in front of the generator. "You're up, buddy."

Letting out an excited whistle, the diminutive astromech rolled up and plugged himself into the droid jack on the side of the control station. As bringing along copious amounts of explosives would've surly ended this mission before we'd ever gotten inside, Artoo was going to arrange a meltdown of the main reactor for the factory as well as sabotaging a few other things, which I'd made the suggestion to do during the planning phase.

"How much time do you think you'll need?" Leia asked Artoo after a moment.

Artoo warbled an answer.

"Pretty quick, all things considered," I remarked. "Care to pass me my lightsaber, buddy?"

Artoo beeped an affirmative as one of the blue panels on his domed head slid open, revealing the hollowed out compartment which perfectly concealed my lightsaber within. Hardly surprising, considering the man who'd put that compartment in the little droid's chassis had done so to hide this exact same weapon within it. I'd been especially pleased when I'd first started making an inventory of Artoo's features and modifications and uncovered that particular compartment. Not only did it contain a hydraulic spring capable of launching my weapon towards me in an emergency but it was also shielded to avoid weapons scans. This ensured I could bring it along for the mission with minimal risk.

"And now that things are under control here," I began, plucking my preferred weapon from the compartment and attaching it to my belt. "You guys think you can stand guard here for a minute while I look into something?"

"'Look into something?'" Han repeated, glancing around a corner for any sign of trouble. "Luke, now's not really a good time to take in the sights."

"Agreed," I replied, already moving in the direction of a stairwell we'd passed on the way here. "But this seems important. Don't worry; I won't be far and I'll stay out of sight."

"This one of your Jedi things too?" he sarcastically asked.

"Pretty much," I shrugged. "I'll only be a minute. Don't start blowing this place up without me."

"No promises!" Leia called out as she was examining a wall mounted schematic of the facility.

I let out a huff of amusement as I rechecked the blaster rifle I was still carrying and set off for the stairwell. I expanded my senses outward while looking for my quarry and while keeping an eye out for any guards or workers I might stumble across. Confident in my direction, I set off at a brisk pace for the lower levels of the factory.

A short time later, as I was walking cautiously down said stairway, I realized I was closing in on my intended destination once I could hear the sounds of talking. It was loud enough for me to hear it even through the duracrete walls and durasteel door. I could make out many voices with differing dialects and at least two distinct languages. Reaching the bottom of the steps, I opened the door into Sublevel Two. The lighting seemed dimmer here and the facilities seemed far less immaculate than the administrative area or even the factory floor. It still didn't hamper my vision to the sight that greeted me as I reached the source of the chatter.

I'd found Weapons Factory Alpha's secret workforce.

Twi'leks, Ithorians, Torgruta, Zabrack, even a small huddle of Jawas as well as some species I didn't quite recognize. They all huddled in small groups mostly separated by species, although it wasn't always the case. But regardless of species, they all shared similarities in how they wore dirty, plain, and often ripped brown and grey coveralls. They also all looked terrified of me standing there with my blaster out.

"'Fully automated' my ass," I muttered. My heart clenched at the sight of them all and I repressed a spike of rage at what I was seeing. Even with meeting and talking to the former slaves I'd rescued, sights such as this would likely always struck a dark chord with me.

Stepping forward to begin calming and freeing them, a sudden interruption stopped me in my tracks.

"Hey!"

I barely turned to look at the man who was stomping towards me. If I didn't already know what he was, what he was wearing and carrying would've made it obvious. He was a large, hairy human man with a vaguely Imperial looking uniform, but in brown with his hairy arms left bare and an object that looked uncomfortably like a thick lightsaber hilt in his hand.

"Get away from those cages!" he barked. "Unless you'd prefer to-"

That was as far as he got before I ripped the object he was holding out of his hand with the Force and caught it in mine.

The slave keeper gaped as I examined the device in my hand curiously and with a deceptive calm. Flicking the switch on the side, I activated it. A thin cord shot out of the end and seemed to almost instantly ignite with a fiery glow until the cord was fully extended and sparked and sizzled against the ground beside me.

"Of course it's a whip," I observed aloud with a cynical tone. "How could you expect them to obey you any other way?"

The keeper sputtered a response but whatever it was he was trying to say, I didn't feel like hearing it. Instead, I felt my anger rising to the surface within me. I could only think of the scared faces of the people in that cage beside me, the faces of Duella and the other slaves whom I saved from Crimson Jack...

What came next happened too fast for conscious thought. I snapped my arm up and sent the whip towards the detestable man. The end snapped loudly against the exposed skin of his upper left arm, sending the man stumbling backwards with a loud yelp.

He hardly had time to spit a curse at me when I snapped the whip a second time, this time aimed at his legs. The wretched man yelled and squealed again as he fell onto his ass and cried about the burn mark that had afflicted his calf and had cut right through his pants. Not waiting for the slave driver to find his courage, I lashed him twice more and sent him scrambling on his hands and knees back in the direction he came from and away from the slave pen.

Not wanting the slaver to sound an alarm, I used my free hand to bring up my stolen blaster and fire a stun shot before he scrambled out of sight. The electric blue bolt struck the slaver in the ass and sent him slumping face first into the ground.

_'Perhaps not the most Jedi thing to do,'_ I contemplated. _'But justice comes in many forms. I have neither the time, not the desire to torture that man but there's something still satisfying about sending him scampering away with the same tool he abused others with.'_

I believed that. I know I did. This wasn't me giving in to anger... I was certain.

I flicked off the whip and watched as the reddish orange glow faded and the cord retracted quickly into the hilt. With a snap and click, it was just an oversized handle again. While the thought of dropping the cruel device or even hurling it away was each appealing in their own way, I reluctantly decided it was something worth holding onto and stowed it in one of my pockets. If nothing else, it was a unique weapon and worth studying if I should ever encounter an _actual_ lightwhip.

Turning back to the gate of the large cage, the people inside cringed and backed away from it upon my approach. Unhooking my lightsaber and igniting it in a well practiced motion, I swiped my arm out and destroyed the large locking device over the cage door. Pushing it open with the Force, I kept my lightsaber ignited as I looked to the occupants and spoke to them directly for the first time.

"I'm Commander Luke Skywalker, with the Alliance to Restore the Republic," I declared. "We're about to blow this factory to scrap by setting off the reactor. Come with me if you want to live."

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

Guiding everyone back to Sublevel One and the main power core, I returned to where I had left my companions. I was greeted with the sight of Leia looking intently at Han and the smuggler looking like he was attempting to deflect or change the conversation.

"Um," he let out. "Maybe now's not the best time..."

"Sorry to interrupt," I said, not sounding sorry at all. "But playtime's over. You two can flirt later."

I was amused to see both of them redden slightly at my remark. Both looked ready to retort with something, likely a denial, but were distracted by the hunched and dirty crowd of aliens behind me.

"Making friends, I see," Han remarked, examining the crowd.

"We're not leaving them behind," I stated firmly.

"We've got the room. It'll be tight but we won't need it to be for long," Han agreed, likely running mental calculation's on the _Falcon's _life support capabilities. Since we only had to make it a short distance to rendezvous with the _Resurgent_, it shouldn't overtax the life support systems.

"Artoo finish yet?" I asked, observing some of the braver looking slaves arming themselves with tools and whatever sort of weapons they could improvise from the environment. There was no telling if they'd encounter more Imperials on their way out and I wasn't looking to get them killed while trying to free them, so I silently approved this initiative.

Said droid warbled a response as he disengaged from the main console and rolled over to us. He'd triggered a cascade of failures in the electronic control systems and it was only a matter of time until the reactor went critical. Unlike in the original operation I remembered, I had also advised him to begin equipment malfunctions throughout the production lines. Fires would soon be breaking out as high intensity plasma welders began to fire out of control and the fire suppression system failed to activate. If the Imperials here were talented and a bit lucky, they could stop the reactor from going critical. However, I didn't fancy their chances if the facility was burning down around them while they did so. Smoke and heat were even deadlier killers at times than actual fire.

"Time we called our ride then," I said. "Agreed?"

"Agreed," Han repeated, pulling out his comlink. "Chewie, you there?"

Our faithful wookiee friend responded promptly, confirming his status. Chewie had landed the _Falcon_ on Cymoon a day ago and had been lying in wait for our call ever since. I wasn't sure how Threepio had ended up alone on the ship originally since he was by no means a great pilot but I knew Chewbacca would have little trouble in evading Imperial patrols and sensors. He was almost as good a pilot as Han, although Han was emphatic that he was the better of the two.

And of course...

_"All is well, Captain Solo!"_ Threepio cheerfully informed us. _"Oh, it is so good to hear from you! We are standing by and ready to pick you up!"_

"That's good news, Threepio," Leia answered. "We'll rendezvous on the roof of the factory. The stairwells should provide us with uninhibited access all the way there."

It was all going perfectly. We'd done our job and it was time to leave. Of course, this was when my true reason for coming here arrived...

"Problem," I stated aloud, looking up towards where I sensed his arrival. "Looks like the Empire's rep just showed up."

"Too bad for them," Han shrugged. "We'll be on our way out by the time he figures out we're not here."

"The rep is Darth Vader."

A spike of fear seemed to shoot through the room at my words, even causing some of the freed workers to gasp.

"V-Vader?" Leia asked, clearly startled by my reveal. "Luke, are you certain?"

"Positive," I answered. "I can sense him landing right now."

And I really could. His dark presence was like an oncoming storm. I felt it churn and writhe as he sensed someone Force sensitive close by and observing him.

Originally, the Old Luke shouldn't have been able to sense Vader like I was right now. Too new to his Force senses and unused to having any sort of presence in the Force, he'd have been like a fly on the wall. That is to say; hard to notice unless you were looking for him. Now however? I wasn't even trying to conceal myself as I felt his malicious gaze lock onto me through the Force.

_'That's right,'_ I seemed to project. _'Come and get me.'_

"Alright; let's all take a breath," Han chimed in. "Luke, you said you can hide from him sensing you, right?"

"It's too late," I shook my head. "He's definitely already sensed me. Hiding now would be pointless. He'll likely soon figure out that this is a raid and put the facility on alert."

"Then we'll blast our way out on the _Falcon_," Han responded grimly. "Let's get to the roof, fast!"

"You'll go on ahead," I informed him, stopping him before he could make a dash for the stairs. "He's only going to be looking for me and you'll need a distraction to keep him off your tail."

"Luke, no!" Leia ordered. "You're coming with us!"

"Relax," I replied easily. "This isn't martyrdom. You all load up and swing back around to get me once the _Falcon_ is here and you're all in the air. But I won't be able to protect all of you if he attacks while you're around. So, I'll distract him by heading off to the far side of the factory. The north end should be clear, so that's where I'll head."

"Luke, he's too powerful!" Leia protested. "You can't face him alone!"

"It'll just be for a distraction," I assured her. "I'm not looking to fight the man while the factory blows up around us. You'll swing around in the _Falcon_ to pick me up."

"Luke-" she tried again.

"Leia," I interrupted her. "Do you remember how you trusted me before? When you helped me get the forces together to take down Crimson Jack and end his piracy operation? I had to depend on you to help me get the support I needed. Did you disappoint me then?"

Taken aback by the shift in topics, Leia cut off whatever she was about to say and seemed to formulate a different response.

"The answer is no, you didn't," I continued. "You helped me accomplish what I couldn't manage alone. Now, I can help return the favor by doing the same. Get these people out of here and come back with the _Falcon_ so we can all escape. Can you do this for me, please?"

Leia looked ready to continue arguing otherwise. Honestly, her stubbornness was one of the things I admired so much about her, if not when it was working against me.

Still, she nodded to me once before taking a quick step forwards and embracing me. The hug was over quickly and Leia walked over to the freed workers to start organizing them and telling them what the plan was. In any crisis, that woman was a natural leader.

Han was, unsurprisingly, less emotional in his response as he just looked at me awkwardly for a moment while shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"We'll be picking you up shortly," he informed me firmly. "Keep your comm close."

"You'd better," I replied, grinning and pointing to the small communications bead sitting in my ear. My grin lessened to a smile as I jerked my head towards the exit. "Now get these people to safety, Han. We're all counting on you."

Nodding, Han quickly started calling for the freed workers to 'stay quiet, stay close, and keep your heads down unless you're looking to get it shot off!'

Eager to comply with the people who'd promised them a ride out of here, they all hurried back to the stairwell, feet pounding as they all hurried to the roof.

Feeling something bump into my leg, I looked down to see Artoo. He beeped at me sadly.

"Hey," I comforted, resting a hand atop his dome. "It'll be okay, buddy. Don't worry."

He beeped a question.

"You'll be better off with them," I told him gently. "C'mon, you know those guys might need your skills to make a getaway. And if you stay with me, who's gonna look after Threepio and keep him from annoying all those nice folks while they're trying to make their escape?"

Artoo whistled quietly in acknowledgement. He followed it up with a promise.

"I'll see you soon too, pal," I returned the promise. "Now, run along."

Artoo acknowledged the promise before speeding after the others to catch up. He'd have to activate his jet boosters to get up the stairs but I knew that wouldn't really inconvenience him.

_'The little guy has a knack for getting around quickly,'_ I thought fondly.

In a few moments, the last sounds of their footsteps faded and I was alone.

Where I was standing wasn't the most defensible position, nor the best place for me to be for a fast exit. I turned and jogged down the nearest hallway, heading across the facility and towards the opposite end of where I currently was. I was serious about leading Vader away from them since I knew Vader would hardly care for the rebels if I was around to offer a more tempting target.

There were curiously few signs of life as I made my way up to the main factory floor and the ground level. That is to say, there were no stormtroopers to bar my way or set up a choke point for me to run into. I'd have at least expected some sort of automated defenses or security drones of some sort, but there was no such thing. Not even the telltale sign of rushing engineers as they scrambled to the reactor to shut it off or stop the overload.

I was totally alone.

Perhaps in this timeline, without Chewbacca to signal an alert by trying to snipe Vader on the landing platform, the Imperials were playing this different? Had they not noticed the reactor going critical yet, or was Artoo simply that good at hiding his work? And had nobody noticed that the factory overseer and two troopers had gone missing?

As though triggered by my thoughts, the alarm suddenly sounded and the whole facility was put on alert.

_'Time to pick up the pace,'_ I thought, breaking out into a run.

I made good time running through the main factory floor. I passed partially completed bits of the Imperial war machine as they were in mid-assembly. TIE fighter cockpits, AT-ST and AT-AT legs, speederbike chassis, and I even think I caught sight of a line of 2M-Saber tanks before passing the area by completely. This place really was a major production hub.

Of course, this sight may have been more impressive if the equipment hadn't clearly started to malfunction. Parts were being bolted to things they were never meant to be bolted to and high intensity welders were firing into the assembly line itself or the factory floor as they went completely out of control. The automated nature of the factory and the lack of slaves to tell their superiors if something was wrong was now working against the Imperial staff here as there seemed to be nobody present to attempt to stop it all from breaking down.

Moving quickly to escape the rising levels of heat, flame, and smoke being generated by the malfunctioning equipment, I reached the end of the production lines and passed through a doorway to arrive at a stockroom of some kind. Finished TIEs and Saber tanks almost seemed to gleam as their factory finish ensured that there literally wasn't a scratch on them.

Shutting the door behind me, I continued moving to the far end of the factory. Even moving as quickly as I had been, I could still feel the dark presence of Vader closing in. It was more than a little unnerving and acted with all the drama of a countdown timer as I could nearly sense the conflict to come. Scratch that; the conflict I _knew_ was coming.

Still, I hadn't run this way without some forethought. If I had gone another direction or deeper into the administrative and office areas, I'd run the risk of being trapped in a corridor or some other enclosed space when Vader found me. In such tight quarters, he'd have the advantage over me with his size and strength. Out here, on the factory floor, there were more wide open spaces where I could move to dodge and attack more freely.

I'd talked a big game to my friends about not fighting him or being capable of holding my own in a straight fight with him but the truth was that I was nervous. I mean, who wouldn't be? This was _Darth Vader._ The man had killed more Jedi Masters than I'd seen birthdays. He's been fighting and killing longer than I'd been alive and he's gotten good at it. Could anyone say they were entirely prepared to face such a man at his own game?

But rather than let fear or doubt take root at these thoughts, I decided to make preparations. That was how I'd defied him and saved Kenobi before, right? And wasn't it what I'd already done by choosing where to fight as to give myself an advantage?

I came to a stop as I reached a dead end. Two large loading doors remained sealed before me and I didn't know how to open them. The only other way out seemed to be back the way I came. I was far enough away from the smoke and heat of the main production areas that if it weren't for the flashing lights, I'd never know there was an alert going on right now. It was just me and the factory products in this room until my opponent arrived.

I smirked.

Time to get to work.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_POV Shift; Several Minutes Earlier..._

Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith was about as close to happy as he was accustomed to being.

One may not be inclined to believe this if they took recent events into account, such as his master's latest weapon being blown apart along with Tarkin; one of his more favored subordinates. This failure, which had happened under Vader's watch, was a blow not just to the Empire or even to his master, but it was also a blow to Vader's personal pride. For even before the battle over Yavin took place, something thoroughly inconceivable occurred aboard that battle station.

Kenobi had returned and then just as abruptly, escaped him. He'd spent years waiting for a lead, a sighting, for the merest _whisper _from the Force for him to pounce on. At long last, he'd found his old master. He'd gloated how Kenobi had clearly withered away in whatever hole he had been hiding in while Vader's power had only grown. The fight had been everything he'd wanted as Kenobi had begun well enough but had quickly lost ground. The opportunity for a killing blow almost came too quickly for his tastes.

But of course, nothing worthwhile is ever so simple.

He'd been so close to having his revenge, to having _satisfaction_, that he'd been completely blindsided by the young adept who'd thrown a bomb at him. Actually, physically thrown it at him. _Him!_ It was almost laughable at how simple and _naïve_ the boy had looked then, thinking he could overcome a Dark Lord of the Sith by_ throwing something at him_.

He'd been completely unprepared for the device to explode, not with flame or with any actual dangerous force, but with confetti and smoke. The fact that the device was so harmless was what had worked against him. The strange bits of reflective flimsi had been something Vader had never seen before. They had fluttered and sparkled in the smoke, causing no real damage but had instead completely scrambled his HUD.

By the time he'd realized the true danger and reached out through the Force to see rather than his eyes, Kenobi had already slipped away. His rage had exploded as he'd tried to give chase, to hurl his lightsaber, to rip that hunk of junk starship apart with his _own hands_ if needed! Alas, it was too late. The rebels were gone. Kenobi was gone. And that boy...

The _boy_ had done this. _He_ was the one responsible. He'd been prepared to face Vader. He'd attacked him in a way he'd never encountered before, using a method few, if any, beings would consider which exploited a specific weakness of his suit. None of his foes, even the ones with some idea of what he really was, had thought to attack him in such a way before. It indicated not just resourcefulness on the boy's part, but _preparation_.

Kenobi had clearly trained the boy. He'd surmised as much when he'd sensed him flying in the rebel assault on the station. Not even the most talented of latent Force users could leave such an impression in the Force, nor fly with such skill. Vader now had no doubt that the boy was trained to fight him, specifically. Kenobi and the Rebellion's secret weapon to take him out. It was almost laughable if it weren't so insulting.

Because an apprentice, even a capable one, was all too often a _weakness_.

Yes, Vader had learned that lesson long ago. The boy couldn't possibly hope to escape, whatever his plans were now. The factory's garrison was chasing down the other escaping rebels at that very moment while he dealt with the fool boy. Vader would find him and he would demolish him but not before he dragged every scrap of valuable information out of him, screaming if he must.

Vader could feel the Dark Side whisper sweet nothings to him as he thought of this, every step bringing him closer to the confrontation. Reaching out, he tried to get a grasp of the boy's exact location. It was then that he sensed something curious...

The young Force sensitive was... pacing?

Tuning his senses even more acutely than before, he sensed the young one moving back and forth along what he was certain was the loading area for finished products of the factory. Was he looking for a way out? He wasn't fleeing through any of the available corridors. He'd given strict instructions for the rebel to be left to him. Was he locked in the room by someone operating the factory's security doors and sealing him in? He'd intended on confronting the boy himself and woe unto the foolish who thought they'd deny or delay him.

But no, that wasn't it. His path was unimpeded still, he just wasn't moving anywhere else except around the room. Was it confusion? Was he searching for something? A way out?

_'No matter,'_ Vader thought, moving even more quickly towards his target. _'It is already too late for him.'_

Having walked through the facility rather than the factory itself, Vader had arrived above his target's location, situated in the administrative zone of the factory. Rather than being an oversight or looking for a way down, Vader was right where he'd wanted to be.

He ignited his lightsaber with its customary _snap-hiss _and immediately began cutting into the floor. The carpeting of the office space he was in burned and ignited in some areas but he didn't concern himself with such trivial things now. There was a Jedi to kill.

Vader completed his large, circular cut into the floor. The material within the cut dropped into the expansive room below as Vader gazed after it. Looking first only to check that there were no machines that he may land on and damage him, he dropped into the cavernous space below. His cybernetic limbs were strong enough to take the fall from such a height, so he didn't even bother slowing himself with the Force as he fell what must have been nearly forty meters to the ground level.

Of course, he landed with a thunderous clap. He bent his knees on impact, letting his cloak fall around him as his crimson blade glowed with malicious, red light and casted eerie shadows along his crouched body.

He rose, raising his helmet to look into his prey's eyes which were certainly showing the fear he so relished-

"Well, well, well," came a cheery voice. "Look what the womp rat dragged in!"

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

_POV Shift; Now..._

"Well, well, well," I said, putting on a cheery tone. "Look what the womp rat dragged in! It's been a good minute since we've seen each other, Vader. You're looking good. Actually, you look _taller_. Are you taller? You got yourself new robot legs, didn't you?"

As I said this, my mind raced as I analyzed the battlefield. Ideally, I'd avoid a fight entirely. If unavoidable, I'd sworn to do my utmost to pick my battlefield beforehand. A large, open area either inside a warehouse, hangar or similar building or even just outdoors where there was plenty of room for me to maneuver. Speed and maneuverability were my advantages over him in a stand up fight and I intended to exploit them as much as possible.

"Insolent child," Vader growled at me. "You will not escape me again. You denied me Kenobi's head once before. For that insult, you will _die_."

"So you haven't learned my name yet?" I inquired, taking my lightsaber off of my utility belt before tossing my commandeered blaster rifle off to the side, not breaking eye contact with my father's reflective helmet lenses. "I'd have thought you'd have put more effort into it. It hurts me to think you don't care who I am after I threw a bomb at you and blew up your battle station."

_'It sounds like he hasn't uncovered my identity yet,'_ I thought. _'Which leaves me a great card to play here to help make my escape.'_

"So," Vader hissed, advancing towards me. "Kenobi's arrogant pupil admits to his crimes? Unsurprising. Your arrogance is typical of what I'd expect of one of his students."

_'Was that an insult at his past self in that remark?'_ I thought as he said this.

"Tell me where your master is and I shall grant you mercy," he demanded.

"The mercy of a quick death, I suppose?" I asked, igniting my own lightsaber and taking a stance. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to discuss another topic?"

His heavy footsteps coming towards me were my answer.

This was a fight I knew was a long time coming. As nervous as I was to cross blades with this juggernaut, I had plenty of time to prepare myself. I may not have known exactly where or when this confrontation would happen but now, I approached it head on.

Time to see how I measure up.

Making the most of my environment, I crouched low and jumped up and to the side, landing on the foot of an AT-AT as I sprung off again quickly and made a downward strike at him. This was an admittedly flashy move, typical of Form IV with its aerobatic maneuvers and speed, and I was going to need speed and whatever maneuverability I could get. Holding out physically against him wasn't something I believed I could do for long without exhausting myself, so I had to stay out of his way as much as possible.

Our blades clashed but he didn't relent one bit as he deflected my heavy strike with one hand on his weapon.

The heavy overhead strike should have been enough to immediately place most opponents on their guard, or at least have them take a step back. The only sign Vader made was stopping and standing perfectly still, yet ready as my weapon descended.

What came next was me constantly jumping to one side or the other as I tested his guard. I was careful to not expose myself by reaching for his body with my attack but instead attacking just his guard. I didn't want to let him draw me in to a contest of strength, so I constantly hit his edges and flanks.

Eventually, he seemed to tire of just deflecting my attacks and spun to meet me. He pushed me back with an impressive display of strength, proving to me he had the advantage in regards to pure muscle. I wasted no time recovering and instead, made another attack. I dove the tip of my lightsaber towards the artificial limb holding my opponent's weapon, intending to damage it and limit his combat potential.

He seemed to anticipate my attack. He deflected my blade sideways and immediately made a swipe at the hand holding _my_ weapon. Quicker than he likely expected, I was back on my guard and deflecting his strike into the floor, where it left an angry orange mark as the heated blade bit into the metal. I stepped back and took a guarding stance, Form III, and prepared for the next move.

I saw a subtle shift in Vader then. It wasn't anything overt but the way he seemed to stand changed slightly as he shifted his weight, his grip tightened on his weapon, and his head tilted ever so slightly down as he seemed to ready himself.

Now that he'd seen I wasn't some pushover, the real fight was on.

Red clashed with blue in a show of light and sound that likely affected my eyes more than Vader's. His heavy strikes were brutal in terms of strength and efficiency, which was all the more impressive considering he only used one hand to make them. He left himself with nearly no openings and the ones I did see, I didn't dare trust. I used both hands and a considerable amount of my upper body strength to block the almost casual onslaught of blows coming at me.

I was hardly idle though. I bounced from one foot to another, letting instinct and the Force guide my footwork as I kept moving to his flanks, never letting myself get bogged down in a single position. My own strikes became few and far between but I was putting enough effort into each one that Vader had to block or dodge himself or suffer damage.

_'Except I can't let him keep me on a mostly defensive approach,'_ I thought, straining against deflecting another blow. I had gone almost purely defensive, which I knew was going to be a problem unless I regained the initiative or got myself some breathing room. _'Gotta shake it up.'_

Seizing an opportunity presented in the brief pause between his attacks, I dropped to the floor. Crouching low and balancing on my toes, I sprang forward and slightly to the side of Vader's legs. The surprisingly low angle attack worked to my benefit, immediately causing Vader to plunge his blade down as he moved to avoid me from taking out at least one of his legs.

I threw myself into my roll and sprang quickly back to my feet. I was now a healthy distance from Vader but took the opportunity to take a few more steps while trying to play another card I had in this fight.

"So have you not really guessed who I am yet?" I asked, catching my breath.

There was no response as Vader also seemed to decide to change his own attack style.

Holding his free hand out to the side, he made a clenching and lifting motion as a trio of speederbikes rose into the air and turned to point at me. At this angle, I couldn't help but think the bikes resembled large spears with their pointed tips arrayed against me.

Before I could make another quick comment, the first bike shot towards me. I raised my own hand up, halting the deadly projectile in mid-flight with a shudder and creak of untested metal and components. Vader's telekinetic powers were strong but I was no slouch myself after so much practice and so many hours of control exercises.

If Vader was surprised by the halting of his attack, he didn't show it as the other two bikes quickly shot forward as well. I felt a moment of panic before I expanded my control of the first bike, capturing the others in my grip along with the first. All three shuddered to a halt in the air between us as I felt Vader renew his attack and put more power behind his thrusts. I reached deep and tapped even more power from the Force to keep up.

As the seconds dragged on, I felt my arm growing tired from the strain as I pushed back against Vader's attack. He was pushing more and more as the seconds dragged on and it was becoming noticeably difficult to match him. I'd have to come up with something if Vader didn't relent soon.

After what must've been over a minute, the decision was taken out of our hands as the speederbikes crumbled under the combined strain before practically shattering under the sheer force of our combined assault. All three bikes were crushed and broke apart into hundreds of individual pieces. I felt Vader let go of the mess through the Force nearly a second before I did and we both watched as the crushed and warped shards of the once pristine bikes fell to the floor between us, sending fragments everywhere in a mess of scrap metal.

"Impressive," he intoned. "Most impressive. It has been a long time since anyone has managed a similar feat of Force prowess against me. I doubt even Kenobi, as decrepit and withered as he's become, could match it."

"I hope you're not going to try and sweet-talk me now," I replied. "Because I think we both know you'd be bad at it."

"Your insolence does you no favors, boy," Vader warned, heat behind his mechanical baritone. "Impressing me is a far cry from defeating me. If you surrender now, I'll allow you to live."

"Yeah," I sighed theatrically. "I'm gonna have to say no to offers of surrender or mercy. C'mon, was none of that fight the least bit familiar to you? Did you not even look at my lightsaber during that exchange earlier? Because I looked at yours and let me tell you; it is a totally uninspired follow-up to the original design. Although, I do have a thing for black myself so maybe this one's just due for a new paintjob..."

That seemed to get the desired reaction as Vader cocked his head ever so slightly. I could feel his gaze on my weapon as he started, taking one step forward and practically growling his next words to me.

"Where did you get that?" he demanded.

"I inherited it, obviously," I replied.

"Kenobi had no right to give it to you!" he snapped. "You have no idea what its true origins are!"

"He gave it to me," I answered slowly. "Because it is probably the closest thing my family has to an heirloom. I daresay I have more right to it than Kenobi did."

Vader paused as he attempted to parse those words out and decipher their meaning. It seemed to bring him only further confusion - or perhaps to an answer he didn't believe - as he snapped out his next demand.

"Identify yourself!"

"What, you don't recognize me?" I asked. "C'mon, there's got to be a family resemblance! I'm almost hurt that you don't see it."

"Who _are_ you?!" Vader demanded.

There were perhaps a hundred different ways I could relay this information. I could even allow him to discover it on his own, although that brought about its own risks and took the decision almost entirely out of my hands. I'd hedged around the truth enough at this point and resolved that simply saying it outright was the best option.

"Vader... I am your son."

Of course, there was always something delicious about irony as well.

Something interesting that I noted was that it was actually fairly easy to tell when I'd gotten a significant reaction out of Vader. His respirator, which usually gave out steady breaths, caught and hitched at the sudden inhalation as he connected the dots and got an answer.

"That's not- you're not- you cant..."

I'd never imagined I'd hear such confusion and denial from such an imposing figure with such an imposing tone. His mask ensured that even in confusion, the Darth still sounded menacing.

"It's true," I told him. "I am yours and Padme's son. You were lied to by your master. Padme survived long enough to give birth. The secret was kept about my survival in order to protect me from you and especially your master."

"Protect?" he repeated. _"Protect-!?"_

"You'd just choked your pregnant wife and attacked your best friend / brother / mentor in a fit of uncontrolled anger," I pointed out. "I think most people would call that an unsuitable environment for a child. The Dark Side is one hell of a drug, isn't it?"

Cutting off whatever my father's next words would have been, the loading bay around us seemed to hum with sudden activity.

Floodlights turned on at the heads one of the AT-ATs looming over us. It's startup sequence had finished cycling and the huge armored transport shuddered as it came to life. Vader turned, bringing his lightsaber up in a defensive posture as he was clearly startled by the sudden activity from the seemingly empty machine.

"Don't worry, you didn't miss anyone else in here with us," I assured him, quickly reaching up to tap my ear once. "It just took this long for the blasted thing to power up. It took much longer than that pair of TIEs against the wall over there," I pointed.

"Or those Saber tanks over there," I pointed again.

"Or those speederbikes against the wall," I pointed a third time.

"The folks here do good work, y'know," I complimented. "All this brand new equipment runs smoothly and quietly. At least while just flipping on the power. Got their power cores running nice and smooth. Builds up a nice healthy charge and you don't really hear them going active without their repulsors being switched on."

"What are you-?"

"Hold on, I'm not finished!" I interrupted harshly, actually managing to silence the Sith Lord with my words though I imagined he had a lot on his mind at the moment.

"Now," I continued. "We've got all this equipment around us, right? Big, powerful war machines. Made with pride, if without morals, here on Cymoon I. And I switched on a bunch of them in this room. This room with only an open door leading back to a burning factory and another set of doors leading outside. As big as this factory is, getting my exact location to my ride for a quick escape would be tricky, huh? But if that ride had someone in the cockpit paying attention to, oh say, the scanner; then they'd know right where I was and that blasting open the loading bay doors on the north end of the factory would be a _very good idea!"_

Anticipation spiked as Vader and I both tensed for a sudden explosion hit the room. Several seconds passed in silence as nothing happened and the doors remained intact.

"Okay, so the timing's a little-"

The loading doors exploded inward from my right, sending a fireball into the loading area where Vader and I were standing as well as several large pieces of shrapnel.

In a universe that seemed to love its heroes, things like that never seemed to kill the protagonists. The Force just seemed to really be with me today as I crouched and covered my ears to protect them from the incredible noise the blast generated. I relied on the Force to warn and protect me if any of that shrapnel came close and it seemed to pay off just fine as I stood back up a moment later to see a large hole had been blown in the doors. And I could hear the familiar whine of the _Millennium Falcon's_ engines coming from outside.

Time to go!

"We'll have to catch up some other time!" I called out to him. "Do yourself a favor and start considering what else your master is hiding from you! Also; you should probably run before the factory explodes!"

Turning on my heel, I immediately poured on the speed while enhancing it with the Force. Force Speed was a pain to maintain over prolonged distances but I only had to use it in a short sprint for this escape. In a mere second, I was already charging outside through the blast hole and on my way to freedom.

"Wait!"

Vader's faint command was practically a whisper - although I was sure he shouted it - as I left him behind me. I had no choice but to ignore it.

I imagined I looked like a blur as I raced outside and towards the _Falcon's_ lowering ramp. Chewie was there to greet me, bowcaster in hand as he scanned for targets and nearly yelped in surprise when I barreled to a stop beside him, leaping the remaining distance up the ramp and catching myself on a handhold to stop from crashing into the ship or Chewie.

"Time to go!" I told him.

The big Wookiee huffed once in agreement and hit the button to close the ramp again, moving back towards the cockpit as he hurried to assist Han in our escape.

I caught sight of black smoke coming out of Weapons Factory Alpha just before the ramp finished closing.

**~Skywalker: Resurgent~**

"What did you say about the stupidity of fighting while the factory was burning down around you," Leia snapped, slapping my arm hard.

"Ow!" I complained, fending off her follow-up slaps. "It's not like I started it, so relax! It all worked out, didn't it?"

We'd made the jump to hyperspace a few minutes ago, making our getaway from the pursuing Star Destroyers. I'd come up to the cockpit, wading through all of the grateful-to-be-alive-and-free former workers, only to be met with an irate Leia with Han and Chewie serving as an amused audience to Leia's wrath.

"Barely!" she answered, relenting in her assault. "Stormtroopers followed us to the roof before the _Falcon_ could get there. We had to hold them off until Chewie could show up and give fire support. _Then_ we had to handle the AA emplacement that defended the factory while we waited for you to signal us. Han had to take control for Chewie while I manned the lower quad gun."

"Did we lose anyone?" I asked. "On the roof, during the escape?"

"A few," Leia frowned. "We saved almost all of them though. We can take solace in that. I'm glad you found them before we blew the factory."

"So am I," I agreed. "And that was a great escape, Han. Chewie, thanks for having the ramp lowered and being ready for me. I was worried for a second that he was gonna chase me."

My Wookiee friend yowled in acknowledgement and added that he was glad Vader didn't try and chase me too.

"You really pissed him off, huh?" Han asked. "Tall, big, and creepy didn't like someone young and new showing him up, I'll bet."

"Something like that, probably," I answered. "We on course for the rendezvous?"

"Assuming the _Resurgent_ is right where we left her," Han nodded. "Given all the trouble you've put me through, I'm looking forward to finding out how well you've restocked the bar since I was last there."

"Because I'm _sure_ using my ship as a repair station doesn't cover it," I replied dryly. "Go right ahead. Just know that I left orders to lock up the good stuff whenever the _Falcon_ is docked."

"What the hells!?" Han immediately protested.

"Before you children start," Leia interrupted. "I'm going to look in on our passengers. I'm sure they'll be looking for someone to talk to who isn't Threepio by now."

"I'll have you know that Artoo Deetoo is a wonderful conversationalist," I said, feigning offense for my faithful droid companion. "And Threepio is a pretty good storyteller too."

"Not everyone understands Binary, Luke," she replied offhandedly, exiting the cockpit.

Sliding into the seat behind the pilot's chair, I let out a relieved laugh that was part happiness and part adrenaline crash.

"This was fun!" I got out between chuckles. "All of us together? We make a great team! Hey, we should team up for missions more often! Let's make it a heist next time. I've always wanted to do a good heist. Han, Chewie; you guys know a good bank or casino we could rob somewhere?"

Chewie huffed in amusement and offered a suggestion. Han immediately countered it by listing what he thought were better options and suddenly, the two were bickering. It sounded like I'd rekindled an old discussion between the two as I listened to them raise well-rehearsed points with amusement.

Leaning back against my seat, I stretched the sore muscles in my arms and processed the result of our mission.

I was right to make those changes to the mission plan. Things went very smoothly, though my friends might object without having something to compare it to like I did. No chase in an AT-AT, no scavengers picking Threepio apart, and no desperate speederbike chase as we ran for our lives. Today, we got the enslaved workers out with minimal conflict, the factory was still destroyed and would leave Imperial production crippled in this sector for the foreseeable future, and I'd managed to not only cross lightsabers and hold my own (for a bit) against my father, but I'd also planted the seed for our future interactions.

Only time would tell what will grow from that seed but I could still be hopeful for what was yet to come.

All in all; today was a good day.

**AN: Son. Of. A. Bitch.**

**This chapter just didn't want to get written. I kept getting held up in writing certain scenes until I was about 75% done and realized I'd made a mistake and had to rewrite a sizable chunk of what I'd already written, further demoralizing me from getting this done.**

**So, how was it though? Too much too fast? Not enough?**

**I got a fair bit of flak last chapter from people being happy to see Mara Jade, but think Luke should have recognized her.**

**1\. There are plenty enough redheads in the galaxy that not every one is gonna set off Luke's sense of danger. There's some fan art and book art for what Mara Jade would look like, but the basic description is 'red hair, green eyes, and beautiful,' which is pretty generic. I know there's an attached pic on wookieepedia but it's not like she's as recognizable as Leia or Han. **

**Cut a guy some slack, alright? It's not like she meant him any _direct_ harm, or he would've sensed it. Do you really think he'd have followed her up to her hotel room if he sensed she was about to kill him?**

**2\. Mara wasn't trying to showboat her abilities and reveal that she was a deadly assassin. She was playing a role and stuck pretty close to it, even after the point most people would consider her cover blown. The woman's a professional liar and manipulator. If she's not giving off any signs that she's about to do harm, how is Luke supposed to see it coming from what he believes to be a stranger?**

**3\. ****Like some folks have pointed out, the Force makes _weird_ coincidences happen. Look no further than the films for evidence of this. **

**As an aside, for those of you who don't know or read the comics, the comic I was referencing in this chapter has an _awesome_ line to it between Luke and Vader:**

_**"Who are you?"**_

_**"You killed my father!"**_

_**"I've killed many fathers. You'll have to be more specific."**_

**Easily one of the best lines from the Vader comics! XD**

**I've created a account! Contribute to join the official discord conversations about my stories and suggest new stories and ideas for future stories and projects! Search for my page on /LennexMacDuff. I hope to also enjoy things like live discussions and gaming events in the future if I can garner enough interest!**

**Until next time!**


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